


Behind the Facade

by musicalmockingbird



Category: Avatar (TV), Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst?, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Equalist Asami Sato, F/F, Korrasami - Freeform, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-27
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-08 17:39:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 43,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14110599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicalmockingbird/pseuds/musicalmockingbird
Summary: Canon divergence. Korra wants to be become a waterbending master but lingering sexism in the North Pole makes it difficult for girls to succeed at the waterbending academy. Korra decides that she will pretend to be a boy while she trains so that nothing can get in her way of becoming a waterbending master. Meanwhile in Republic City, Asami Sato, daughter of the genius Hiroshi Sato, is becoming quite the brilliant prodigy and finds herself caught in the middle of a movement.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first time creating something with the intent of sharing it here. This is low-key inspired by Alanna the lady knight in The Song of the Lioness quartet. I wanted to kind of invert the whole girl dresses up as boy dynamic so it's ok that the other guy likes her since she isn't really a boy! So I present my two fave bisexual girls masquerading as someone they aren't. This is my first attempt so here I go! -Musical MB

**Northern Water Tribe**

The snow always looked so sparkly and inviting to the little girl inside her home. Her parents kept her cooped up inside, and if they did allow her to go outside they always bundled her up in such heavy, stifling coats. The girl did not understand her parents, she never felt particularly cold and the many layers they forced her to wear in order to enjoy the outdoors were so stifling. So one day while her parents were busy discussing matters that went above her head, the little girl scampered outside without any of those heavy, burdensome coats and into the snow.

The sun shone particularly bright, making the snow sparkle even more than normal. The little girl plopped back first into the snow, giggling and smiling up at the sky. The snow muffled out the rest of the world and the girl felt tranquil. Fat snowflakes lazily fell around her catching the sunlight just right. She stuck her hand out to catch some flakes and the flakes started to whirl around her hand. She was immediately entranced, moving her hand slowly around and watching the flakes follow. Naturally, tranquility never lasts long.

“Korra!” the little girl, Korra, heard her mother shout from the door, “What are you doing out there without your coat? You’re gonna freeze!”

Korra sat up smiling wildly, “But I’m not cold at all, Mom! Watch me! Watch me!”

She stuck her hand out again and focused on the fat snowflakes and soon enough they were following the patterns she made with her hand.

The mother’s eyes widened, “Tonraq!”

Tonraq quickly came to the door beside the woman and looked out at their daughter.

Tonraq smiled, “Well, Senna, it looks like we got ourselves a little waterbender!”

* * *

Korra stood in front of her house concentrating very hard on a pile of snowballs she had just made. She took a deep breath, then lifted her arms and started whirling them madly causing the snowballs to rise and shoot rapidly at the girl’s target, her polar bear dog Naga. Naga jumped and ran around the snowballs trying to catch them in her mouth and Korra giggled in childish glee.

Korra heard laughter from behind her and turned around to see three boys watching her.

“What’s funny?” she crossed her arms and cocked her hip with attitude.

Two of the boys shoved the third forward. He shot them a look but turned to Korra and said, “We just think it’s cute how you play in the snow.”

“I’m not _playing_ in the snow, I’m waterbending!” Korra responded with a confident nod.

The boy just shook his head, “No, girls don’t waterbend.”

“Says who?”

“It’s just the way things are, boys learn to waterbend and girls...well play in the snow.”

“The best waterbending master in the whole world is a girl!”

“She doesn’t count. She had to learn because there was a war and she was with the avatar. That was a one time thing”

“Nuh-uh! The academy is open to girls now! And besides, if it was a one time thing it could be a two time thing,” Korra argued.

The boy frowned and his lackeys, as Korra thought them as, picked up snow and hurled them at her. “No girl will ever belong to the academy, especially not you!”

Korra held up her arm to shield her face from the snow, “Stop!”

At this moment Korra’s father walked into the yard and saw all the children. He frowned at the boys, “I hope you boys aren’t up to anything.”

The boy who had been talking to Korra responded with wide eyes, “No, of course not, Chief!”

"Mm-hm,” Tonraq walked up to Korra and started to usher her to the door to their home, “Come on, Korra. I think dinner might be ready soon.”

As Korra reached the door with her dad she flicked her hand toward the boys concentrating on the remaining snowballs in her abandoned pile. She grinned as she heard three satisfying splats.

Sure enough when they walked inside Senna was ready with food. She smiled at them as they all sat around a fire on their cushions. They each had a bowl of Senna’s stew and they all started eating, all except Korra.

“Korra, aren’t you going to eat?” Senna asked her daughter.

Korra picked up her spoon but it only hovered above her bowl. “I want to learn real waterbending, not just playing in the snow.”

“We know, honey. But you have to wait a couple more years, remember? They start admission at the academy at twelve years old.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. I don’t want to play with snow, I want to be a real waterbending master so that must mean I have to be a boy,” Korra said.

Senna and Tonraq shared a look, then Tonraq responded, “Is this about those boys outside?”

“Boys?” Senna asked.

“Some boys were outside when I came home. They were probably spewing something sexist at Korra,” Tonraq informed Senna then spoke to Korra, “Korra, anyone can learn at the academy now. You don’t have to be a boy in order to waterbend.”

Korra looked at her parents thoughtfully, “So, I can be a girl and still learn waterbending?”

“Of course, you can,” Senna responded.

“Then why did those boys say I would never belong?”

“Well, they are wrong,” Tonraq cut in sharply, “You will learn waterbending at the academy and you will be a great little bender.”

Korra nodded and finally ate her meal.

Later that evening, Senna tucked Korra into bed.

“Mom?”

“Yes?”

“I think it would be easier to go to the academy if I were a boy, ok?”

Senna looked down at her child, “Oh, sweetie. You don’t need to change yourself to make others comfortable. Those boys just haven’t been taught the right way and so they said those mean things to you. You can become a master waterbender, boy or girl or whoever else you choose to be,” Senna hugged Korra tightly, “Goodnight, sweetheart.”

“Goodnight, Mom.”

Korra nestled into her blanket and, despite her mother’s encouraging words, decided that she would not let being a girl hinder her progress at the academy because she wasn’t going to let anyone know that she was one.

* * *

  **Republic City**

Asami sat up straight and still from the back of the conference room where she watched her father, the genius, Hiroshi Sato, lead his company’s meeting. He was discussing his new ideas for the Future Industries. Asami already knew the entire presentation and the ideas since she lived with and also helped the man who invented them.

Asami looked around the conference room and saw all the older men shifting from looking intently at her father to looking at her questioningly. She was used to these looks the old men always gave her. She understood what they always conveyed too: _What is a little girl doing in this meeting? Why is this little girl sitting in here, she can’t possibly understand what is going on._

“Asami? Can you please come up and assist me?” Hiroshi asked from the front of the room. 

This was always Asami’s favorite part of the meetings. She stood up and walked up to the front where her father was standing. Of course, she loved sitting in the back of the room knowing fully well that her father will call her up. It was fun to make the dramatic walk up to the front, smiling in the faces of all the confused old men.

Hiroshi addressed the rest of the men, “Now my daughter is going to demonstrate how the new and improved engines will work.”

Asami grabbed the mini-engine that had been set on the presentation table in front of Hiroshi. She started the engine and began describing precisely in a clear voice how it worked to the bewildered men. She always treasured the looks of bewilderment she got from the old men. She considered their bewilderment a success, her success in proving their expectations of a little girl wrong. They would always try to trip her up with complicated questions after her demonstrations in an attempt to heal their own wounded prides, but she was always ready and blew them away with her extensive knowledge.

One of the men was talking to Hiroshi while the others listened to Asami calmly answer all the questions.

“You’ve got quite the prodigy there,” the man told Hiroshi.

Hiroshi smiled fondly, “I know, I’m very proud of her.”

“As you should be. The only way she could be any more impressive was if she were a bender.”

“She doesn’t need to be able to throw around any element to prove that she is impressive,” Hiroshi snapped.

The man held up his hands, “Whoa, sorry I didn’t mean anything by that. I was just saying-”

“And I’m saying that my daughter is amazing on her own without any help from destructive elemental powers.”

The man simply stared at Hiroshi afraid to misspeak again.

Hiroshi went on, “Besides, she is going to start self defense training when she turns twelve which is all she’ll need to defend herself.”

Hiroshi turned from the man and smiled broadly at his daughter, placing her on his shoulders and telling her how proud he was of her brilliant demonstration.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This update is coming quicker than others probably usually will since I wrote ahead last time but didn't post all I had. Enjoy! -Musical MB

**Northern Water Tribe**

Korra knelt in front of the water in the harbor looking at her blurry reflection. She was finally twelve and was going to start her waterbending training today, but looking at her reflection she was reminded of the resolve she had made a few years ago. She saw her long hair in its high ponytail which would not pose a huge problem after some style changes since she saw the men in the tribe wear long hair. Her chest, however, she knew would cause a problem. Luckily, at twelve her breasts weren’t very developed, but she could clearly see the small bumps that would eventually grow bigger and more recognizable for what they were.

Korra grabbed the bandages she had brought with her and checking to make sure no one else was around she stripped off her shirt and started to wind the bandage around her chest. When her task was finished she put on an old shirt of her father’s she took from home and glanced down to see her very flat chest. She grinned and proceeded to her next task. She pulled her hair out of her usual high ponytail and accompanying side tails and pulled her hair into a half ponytail like she had seen her father and many other men wear in the North.

She stood up and checked out her new blurry silhouette in the water’s reflection. Satisfied with her work, Korra turned from the harbor and walked with confidence toward the waterbending academy.

She saw a small group of boys already gathered and throwing snow at each other- or rather bending snow at each other. She took a deep breath and approached.

“Hello!”

The boys stopped and looked at her and Korra’s heart sank. One of them was that same boy from years ago. She stood there frozen until the boy came up to her.

“Hi, my name is Tak. What’s your name?”

“Oh, I’m-” Korra suddenly realized she hadn’t planned this far ahead and immediately felt very foolish, “Uh, um.”

Tak raised his eyebrow waiting for her response.

"Arrok!” she made a slight face as she said her name backward, hoping no one would notice, “Sorry, my name is Arrok.”

“You’re weird,” Tak said then shrugged, turning back to his buddies.

Korra relaxed a bit, the boy didn’t recognize her, sure he thought she was weird, but she could deal with weird.

Finally the teacher, an older man, showed up to the gathered students and started them on their basic waterbending training. He had them pair off to practice passing water to each other in a push-pull motion.

“I guess it’s you and me, Uh Um Arrok,” Tak walked up to Korra with a grin on his face.

“Cute,” Korra said with a frown getting into a bending stance.

They started passing a stream of water between themselves, feeling the flow of the water.

“So, I haven’t seen you around before. Where are you from?” Tak asked Korra.

“I’m trying to concentrate,” Korra responded shortly.

“Come on, I’m just trying to get to know you. Besides, this is so easy even a girl could do it.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Korra threw her arms down making the water crash down between them.

“Dude, relax. I was just joking with you.”

“Well, you’re not funny,” Korra stood glaring at Tak.

Tak narrowed his eyes then bent some snow up, melted it, and thrust it toward Korra, “Why  do you care so much? It’s not like you’re a girl.”

Korra caught the stream of water, “No, I’m not, but that doesn’t mean I have to be a dick to prove I have one,” she threw the water back at Tak with more force.

Tak barely caught the water in front of him and just stared at Korra. At this moment the waterbending master came up to them.

“I don’t think you two understand the point of this exercise”  

Korra and Tak turned to the master and dropped their arms to their sides, their bending water splashing to the ground.

“And what would your names be, students?”

“Tak”

“Arrok”

They both responded while looking at the ground.

The master simply nodded thoughtfully and moved on to the next pair of benders.

Tak turned to face Korra once again, “Great, you made me look bad in front of the teacher!”

Korra scoffed, “I made you look bad? Trust me, you don’t my help for that. Oh, wait, maybe you do,” Korra smirked and bent some ice underneath Tak causing him to slip and fall backward.

Tak blinked at her from the ground and laughed, “I like you!” he launched himself back on his two feet and punched her arm, “You’ve got spunk”

“Thanks?” Korra furrowed her eyebrows and rubbed her arm. 

Tak grinned and bent a stream of water up beginning the push-pull exercise with Korra again, "Yep! We're gonna buds, I can tell!" 

Korra was confused by Tak but she continued the exercise with him anyway. She didn’t understand him, at all, but somehow she got on his good side which was all that was important she supposed. _Boys are weird._

* * *

**Republic City**

Asami was sparring her defense trainer in the mansion when she heard the pounding on the door. Normally people just rang the bell. Asami froze in the middle of their spar and looked toward the main door allowing her teacher to win a blow against her.

“Oof!” Asami slightly staggered but her eyes remained glued to the main door.

“Well, if you were paying attention you could have blocked it,” her teacher said.

The butler opened the door and Asami caught a glimpse of a strange man at the door. She squinted to try to see the man clearer and-- the door of the training room shut. Asami was now looking at her teacher instead.

“Let’s start again.”

After her training session, Asami sat with her father, Hiroshi Sato, for dinner. 

“How was training today?” Hiroshi asked.

“It was fine,” Asami thought a few seconds before adding, “How was your meeting today?”

“I didn’t have any meetings today.”

“Then who came pounding on our door?”

Hiroshi looked over at his daughter now with his full attention, “Nothing gets past you, does it?” he smiled at her but she only stared back at him, waiting for an answer. His smile fell, “He was just a friend, don’t worry about him,” his tone of voice suggested that the discussion was over and Asami knew when it was time to stop pushing.

The next day Asami was sitting in the library reading when she heard the pounding once again. _Two days in a row? This has to be good._ She sneaked to the door of the library and peeked out to the grand foyer where the main door was. Like the previous day, the butler opened the door, but this time no one could stop Asami from looking at the stranger.

The strange man entered the house, but Asami could not see his face because he wore a hood that covered it. However, one cannot underestimate the determination of a 12 year old. She slunk out of the library and into the grand foyer, hiding behind a giant potted plant.

“Mr. Sato is waiting for you upstairs in his office,” the butler told the stranger.

Without responding, the stranger made his way up the stairs toward Hiroshi’s office. Asami followed quickly behind, trailing him from a safe enough distance so that he wouldn’t be aware of her presence. The stranger arrived at the office and stepped in closing the door behind him. Asami hovered just outside the door to eavesdrop.

“Have you decided?” Asami heard a deep voice that had to belong to the stranger.

There was some muffled shuffling coming from the other side of the door, a long silence, and then, “Yes.”

“Excellent. We’ll… ” his voice became too muffled to hear and Asami pressed her ear to the door but only caught the last bit, “... the movement.”

_Movement for what?_ Asami had no idea what the strange man was talking about or what her father had to do with him.

“It’ll be a pleasure to work with you.”

“Likewise”

The unmistakable sound of footsteps approached the door and Asami scrambled backward, but not fast enough. The strange man stood in the doorway with his hand still on the doorknob facing her. Asami looked up to his face and was surprised to see that in addition to his hood the man was also wearing a mask.

“Is there something else?” Hiroshi asked from his desk.

Luckily for Asami, the stranger blocked her from her father’s view.

“No,” the man responded then stepped out shutting the door behind him. He stood in front of the door looking down at the girl that faced him. Asami stared back at the stranger, frozen in place. They stood like this for a few seconds until the stranger broke his gaze and walked around Asami heading down the stairs.

Asami finally snapped out of her shock at being caught, and yet not given away by the stranger. She started after the man and caught him at the bottom of the stairs.

“Who are you?” she asked him.

Asami could not see the stranger grin behind his mask as he turned around to face her, “I am the solution.”

* * *

**Northern Water Tribe**

A week into training and things were going surprisingly well. There was no new move that Korra couldn’t master quickly, waterbending just seemed to come easy to her. All of the boys were scared to be her sparring partner since she always wiped the floor with them, that is, all were too scared except Tak. Korra had to admit that she admired his perseverance despite the fact that she kicked his butt every time.

“Alright, this is it. This is the time I even the score!” Tak was hopping from foot to foot shaking his hands out and rolling his shoulders as if preparing for a fist fight.

Korra smiled, “It’ll take you a hundred wins to even the score at this point.”

Tak got into his bending stance, “Come on, a boy can dream, can’t he?”

Korra snorted and got into position as well, “I guess. I mean, that is the only way you could win, in your dreams”

“Ouch that one hurt, Arrok,” Tak grinned.

Then the spar started. Tak melted the snow around his feet and bent it into a stream surging right toward Korra. Korra easily whipped the stream around her body and rocketed it back to Tak. He barely had time to raise his hands up to make the water disperse before it could strike him in the chest. While he was busy shielding his chest, Korra sent a wave of snow over him burying him instantaneously.

“Good job, Arrok, as usual” the master praised Korra then melted the snow burying Tak. Tak was lying on his back now drenched.

“Foiled again! One of these days!” Tak dramatically shook a fist.

“Alright, drama queen,” Korra offered him a hand to help him up. He took it and popped right back up.

“Seriously, how are you so good?”

Korra shrugged, “It just kind of comes naturally.”

“Alright alright, we get it hotshot,” he shoved her playfully.

Korra didn’t know how, but she and Tak had become friends by the end of the week. It might have had to with the fact that he was the only one who would work with her. It was ironic, actually, the boy who told her girls didn’t belong was unknowingly her only friend. It was alright for Korra though, because she could see that he was coming around, albeit slowly, but surely.

Another spar began and Korra and Tak joined the rest of the students standing on the sidelines watching. Tak turned his back on the spar to talk with another one of his friends, Korra watched the spar. One of the sparring students tried to water whip his opponent but his opponent quickly dodged and froze the student’s feet to the ground. The first student melted the ice as the second bent a wave towards him while he was busy melting his feet out of the ice. The first student threw his hands up turning the wave into a solid sheet of ice and shattered the ice. As the ice shattered, pieces flew everywhere and many students had to duck or dodge to avoid being skewered. One student, however, was too busy talking to his friend and facing the other direction to notice the huge ice fragment that was hurtling toward him.

“Look out!” someone shouted out causing Tak to turn around and see the sharp piece of ice come straight at him with no time to react.

Luckily for Tak, Korra was ready. She leaped in front of him as he turned toward the speeding icicle and thrust her hands out, palms facing outward. Her intention had been to melt the ice with waterbending. She never expected the ice to melt due to the flames that erupted from her hands.

There were several gasps and even a few shouts. Korra just stood with her hands still up, staring at the space in front where she just bent _fire_. How was that possible?

Finally, she heard Tak from behind her, “Dude, I think you took ‘hotshot’ too seriously.”

* * *

**Republic City**

_Avatar Found in the North Pole!_ the headline proclaimed on the newspaper that Asami read.

“The avatar?”

_The new avatar has been discovered in the Northern Water Tribe. The 12 year old boy, Arrok, was training with fellow waterbending students when he discovered his ability to also firebend while saving a friend. After mastering waterbending, the avatar will travel to Republic City to continue his training with the other elements._

Asami finished reading the article, _the avatar, here, in Republic City!_ She was excited, maybe she would get the chance to meet the new avatar when he came and they could be friends! They were the same age after all. She ran to her father’s office, eager to spread the news.

“Dad! Dad! Have you seen the news?”

Hiroshi sat at his desk looking over some blueprints and plans. He looked up to see his ecstatic daughter. “What is it?”

“The new avatar has been found and he’s coming here to train and he’s the same age as me!”

Hiroshi grinned, “That’s...interesting.”

“It’s exciting! Maybe we can be friends!”

Hiroshi's grin fell, "I'm not so sure about that."

"Why not?"

"He's a bender and you're not. You won't exactly be on equal footing."

"I could try." 

Hiroshi just looked at Asami sadly, "Maybe. Now if you'll excuse me. I need to send an important message."

Asami left her father alone so that he could attend to his message. She walked to her room thinking about the new avatar and already planning how she was going to meet him. 

The next day Asami was training when she heard the pounding on the door once again. She remained focused on her lesson this time, that is, until she saw her teacher straighten up and look behind her at the open doorway. Asami turned around and saw the masked man standing in the doorway. _I am the solution._ Asami remembered the first and last words he spoke to her the last time he was at the mansion.

“Would you like to know what your father and I have been talking about?”

Asami’s curiosity won the best of her and she followed the man out the door and to her father’s office. He stepped into the office first and then Asami entered meeting the eyes of her father who furrowed his eyebrows at the sight of his daughter.

“Shouldn’t you be in training? This is a private meeting, sweetheart,” Hiroshi said and Asami felt her heart sink. She really wanted to know what was going on. Her father usually included her in all of the Future Industries dealings and she didn’t like being excluded from this one.

“I invited her to join us,” the masked man responded levelly.

Hiroshi glanced from the man to his daughter and sighed, “Fine. Asami, please close the door.”

Asami grinned, shut the door, and took one of the cushy seats facing her father’s desk. The masked man remained standing. Hiroshi still looked uncertain about the situation but proceeded with the meeting.

“I’ve started to draw up plans for what you have requested,” Hiroshi pulled out blueprints and spread them out on his desk.

The man stood over the desk, glancing over the prints. Asami leaned forward in her seat to try to catch a glimpse of the papers. Suddenly, he whipped the papers off the desk and held them up in front of Asami. Asami fell back in her chair, eyes wide.

“What are your thoughts?” he asked Asami.

Asami studied the plans carefully. They were different ideas on how to harness electric power in various mundane objects.

“Why are you trying to harness electricity?”

“Let’s just say we want to equal out the playing field,” the man responded.

“Well, then, let’s just say I won’t tell you what’s wrong with these plans until I know what all of this is about. I know this isn't Future Industries.”

“Asami,” Hiroshi said warningly, but was silenced when the man raised his hand to cut him off.

“You see, certain people have the ability to bend the elements,” the man said.

“Like the avatar, I know. I wasn’t born yesterday.”

“Yes, like the avatar. I’m sure you have read the news that he will be coming to Republic City soon. You know why?”

“Of course, to train in the elements.”

“That’s what they want you to think,” Asami frowned at his words, but he continued, “The avatar is coming to help the benders keep the rest of us in line.”

“In line? But we aren’t doing anything! That doesn’t make sense”

“I know that, and your father knows that. Which is why we are trying to come up with a way to defend ourselves against this growing oppression. You could help us make the world a little more equal.”

Asami shifted in her chair, “I thought I could try to be friends with the avatar...”

"The avatar is coming here to make sure people like you and me stay in our place. To make sure benders can still assert their power over those of us who can't bend. Do you think someone like that would be your friend?" 

"I don't know..." Asami replied, still uncertain.

“Remember your mother?” Asami’s eyes shot straight to her dad as he asked this question. He continued, “That’s what people with bending do to those of us without. They abuse their abilities and we get hurt.”

“That’s just one firebender, though,” Asami whispered, her voice almost faltering.

“Just one firebender, who was just part of one gang. One gang that is part of an entire ring of gangs that is full of benders who wreak havoc over the city and cause us pain. Do you really think it stops at just one firebender? No, of course it doesn't. Don't be naive.”

Asami looked down at her lap, “Your design won’t work. With the design you have now, the wielder would end up just as fried as the target. Also, consider gloves. They would be more easily utilized and accessible.”

“That’s my brilliant daughter.”

Asami felt the sudden need to get out of the room. She stood to turn toward the door, but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to see the masked man looking at her father with his arm stretched to the side to hold her shoulder.

“I think Asami is the perfect candidate,” the man told her father.

_Candidate for what?_

“I saw her training. She’s good. Her self defense skills paired with her intelligence is exactly what I need.”

Asami pulled out of his grip and turned to glare at both of the men, “Exactly what you need for what? I’m right here, treat me like it.”

“Amon is looking for a right hand man, so to speak, to help us fight against the oppression of non-benders,” Hiroshi explained.

_Amon, so that’s the man behind the mask._

“And you would be perfect. So, will you help us equalize Republic City?” the masked man, Amon, asked Asami.

_They just want equality,_ Asami thought, _and equality is good. Equality is fair. Abusing power is not fair. It’s not equal._  She shut her eyes.  _They just want equality. Equality is fair._

“I’m in.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the awkward timing on updates! As I said before, the first two chapters were written at the same time and therefore were out fairly quickly while this newest chapter was just finished. Enjoy! -MB

**Northern Water Tribe**

The news spread quickly throughout the Northern Water Tribe. The new avatar was here, among the tribe, and his name was Arrok. The news eventually reached Senna and Tonraq and they too joined the rest of the tribe at the academy trying to catch a glimpse at the new avatar. They were surprised when they found that it was their daughter, with a smile that spread from ear to ear, who was at the center of the crowd.

“Ko-?” Tonraq started to call out to Korra, but was cut off when Senna elbowed him.

“Correct us if we are wrong,” Senna interjected, asking a nearby student, “But is the kid in the center the avatar?” she pointed to Korra.

“Yes, he is! That’s my buddy, Arrok. You know, I’m kind of the reason he discovered that he was the avatar,” the student bragged.

“Ah, _he_ , I see. Thank you, uh?”

“Tak.”

“Thank you, Tak.”

“I can introduce you to him, if you want.”

“Thanks, but I don’t think that will be necessary.”

Senna made her way to the center of the gathering, pulling Tonraq along. When Korra saw them her smile fell. She hadn’t exactly told them that she was disguising herself everyday as a boy after she left the house. She didn’t realize that she would have this much attention and thought she could coast through waterbending training mostly unnoticed. The plan was simple in her head: pretend to be a boy at the academy, act normal at home, and become a waterbending master right under the patriarchy’s nose. She didn’t count on being the avatar and having to become public with her new identity. After all, she couldn’t just whip off her shirt and show everyone who she really was. What kind of start to being the avatar would that be? _Oh, by the way everyone, I lied to all of you and I’m really a girl, no hard feelings right?_ She was afraid that would destroy all of the friendships she had made, well her one friendship she had made and the trust of the master she had gained. Besides, she would probably be taken more seriously as a guy anyway.

“Hey, Aunt Senna. How is Korra?” Korra asked.

Senna didn’t miss a beat, “She is fine. Sorry she isn’t here with us, Naga wasn’t feeling well so she wanted to stay with her back at home.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. Well, I’ll see her later, seeing as I am staying with you guys while I train anyway,” Korra wasn't very subtle. It felt weird referring to herself in the third person.

“Of course. See you back home,” Senna said and then dragged Tonraq with her away from the crowd.

After the crowd finally dispersed, Korra walked back home trying to prep herself for what awaited her inside. She paused outside the door and took a deep breath before entering the house. Her mother and father sat on the cushions around the fire, waiting for her. Korra stood awkwardly in the doorway, just looking at them.

“Hey,” she said quietly and raised one hand in a way of greeting, “Um, I’m going to change and then I’ll be right back.”

Korra quickly fled the room. She made her way to her room and closed the door behind her. She stood with her back against the door for a minute as her mind raced. How was she going to explain to her parents that she had been hiding her disguise from them for over a week? _Honestly_ , she thought, _it was stupid to think I could basically live two lives at once and have my parents never find out._ This plan seemed so much better about a week ago, before she drew so much attention to herself. Before she knew she was the avatar.

Korra finally pushed herself away from the door and stripped out of her father’s shirt, her thoughts still racing. _How am I going to pull this off? What are my parents thinking out there? What am I gonna say to them?_ Korra threw the shirt on the floor and ripped off her bindings. _Why did I think this was a good idea? There’s no way I can pull this off with everyone watching me, the avatar._ She put on her regular underclothes and her trademark blue tank-top. _No, no this could still work._ She pulled her hair up in her high ponytail. _I can do this. Leading two lives can’t be that hard, right?_ She looked at her hands, these hands that had shot out fire just a bit ago and changed her world. Suddenly feeling frustrated, she balled her hands into fists and punched one out at the pile of discarded bindings on her floor. She didn’t know what she was expecting, but she jumped when a ball of fire shot out consuming the bindings in flame. She stood with wide eyes over the fire for a few seconds until it finally registered that she just set something in her room on fire and stamped it out furiously. _Right._

Korra exited her room and joined her parents where they still sat expectantly, her father with his arms crossed. Korra’s frustration melted away into nervousness.

“I’m sorry I didn’t say anything before,” Korra broke the silence. And was met with silence, so she continued rapidly, “I just thought it would be easier for me to go in and out of training as a boy instead of having to just fight for a place there and I didn’t want to worry you guys and I never would have thought that I of all people would end up being the avatar and-”

“Korra,- or Arrok?” Tonraq interrupted softly and placed his hand on Korra’s shoulder.

Korra seemed to break at his touch, tears slipping from her eyes. She smiled and let out a soft laugh through her tears, “Korra is fine.”

“Korra, it’s ok. Just start from the beginning, and slowly.”

She threw herself into her father’s arms. He hugged her tight and Senna came to join in the family hug, wiping away her tears. Korra then told them all about the promise she made to herself years ago. She told them about the past week and how she had been switching between being Korra and Arrok for home and for training. She told them that she was still Korra and Arrok was just a disguise.

“Why can’t you tell everyone who are now?” Senna asked after Korra finished.

Korra pulled away from her parents’ embrace to look at them, “If I tell everyone who I am, they might hate me. I don’t want to lose the trust I have built with my friend and master. At this point, it would just be easier to keep up the charade and after my training I can do whatever.”

“Are you sure?”

Korra looked at her mother and took a breath, “No, but it’ll just be easier to become the avatar as a boy. People want Avatar Arrok, the boy, not Avatar Korra, the girl.”

Senna looked sadly at her daughter, “If you think that is best, then we’ll support you. Just remember that change doesn’t come from one who hides behind a mask.”

“I’m not hiding behind a mask,” Korra said defensively, “At least, not literally.”

Korra bit her lip, thinking. Maybe her mother was right and it was silly to keep charading as a boy. But she wasn’t _hiding_ persay. Korra believed that she was simply carving the best path for herself and her success. Yeah that’s it, she’s doing what will make her path easier, she wasn’t hiding from anyone. Korra threw herself into her parents’ arms one more time.

“I do think this is what’s best at the moment. I’ll be fine, I promise,” she reassured her parents, “Oh, and if anyone asks, Arrok is my cousin, from Mom’s side of the family in the South Pole. No one seems to really know Mom’s side of the family so I think that should work pretty well.”

Senna and Tonraq shared a look, then Tonraq shrugged, “She kind of has a point.”

Senna playfully swatted her husband and Korra smiled.

* * *

Korra stood in the harbor, preparing to leave for Republic City. It had been one year since she discovered she was the avatar. She had finished her waterbending training fairly quickly in her eagerness to go to the city and start refining her other elements.

“Arrok!”

Tak came running up to Korra with his big, goofy smile. “Thought you could sail away without saying goodbye didya?”

Korra grinned as she clasped his arm, “Of course not.”

“Wow, I still can’t believe my little spunky dude is the avatar,” Tak ruffled her hair.  

Korra elbowed him playfully, “Shut up.”

Tak smiled at Korra and they both looked out at the harbor where the ship that would take Korra to Republic City waited for departure. They didn’t know when they would see each other again, they both knew the life of an avatar could be demanding and no one knew where it would take her. Who knew when she would be back to the North Pole?

“Um, Tak?” Korra bit her lip.

“Yeah?”

Korra suddenly wasn’t so sure if she should keep going. She debated whether or not she should tell her friend her secret, who she really was. She opened her mouth to speak again but before any words could come out she heard her name again.

“Arrok!”

Korra and Tak turned around to see Senna and Tonraq walking up to them.

“Uncle Tonraq! Aunt Senna!” Korra hugged her parents.

Tak looked behind Senna and Tak, “Where’s Korra? You would think she would see her own cousin off.”

A brief moment of panic filled Korra before her father smoothly supplied, “Korra is actually going with Arrok to Republic City. She came down here earlier and is probably already on the ship.”

“Oh, yeah! I ran into her when I was putting my bags on the ship. She is already settled in,” Korra quickly added.

“Oh, well, I’ll go on the boat to tell her goodbye too!” Tak turned to go to the ship.

“No!” Korra, Tonraq, and Senna all shouted at the same time.

Tak turned back around, slowly, eyes wide, “Geez, what’s wrong with that?”

The three of them exchanged looks searching for an excuse. Then Senna said, “It’s just the crew is very strict on who can go on board, they’re a little bit crazy about it. We don’t want you to get in trouble with them, that’s all.”

“Alright, I won’t go then. It’s just weird that she isn’t here with everyone else, though.”

“It doesn’t really matter, does it?” Korra asked.

“I suppose not. Man, I’m just glad someone like you is the avatar instead of someone like her.”

Korra and her parents all froze at these words.  

“Oh, shoot. That wasn’t cool. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“No, it’s fine,” Korra said shortly.

They all stood awkwardly until the boat’s horn blared, breaking the silence between them.

“That’s my cue, I guess,” Korra hugged her father, “Bye, I love you guys.”

“We love you too, sweetheart,” Tonraq said.

Korra then turned to hug her mother, “I’ll miss you.”

Senna held Korra close and whispered, “Be careful. Don’t lose yourself behind a mask.”

Korra nodded into her mother’s shoulder then let go of her embrace. Korra walked toward Tak with her arm outstretched to clasp one last time.

He didn’t take it and instead said, “I’ll walk with you to the boarding ramp.”

Korra shrugged and they started to walk toward the boat waving back at her parents. They mostly walked in silence, simply listening to the crunching snow beneath their feet and the water in the harbor. In no time, they reached the bottom of the boarding ramp and stopped.

“You were going to tell me something earlier, before your aunt and uncle came,” Tak caught Korra off guard. She had hoped that he’d forgotten.

_I’m just glad someone like you is the avatar instead of someone like her._ Tak’s words echoed in her head. Those words were proof to her that people would rather accept a boy as the avatar than her. Proof that she was making the right decision in remaining Arrok the avatar instead of becoming Korra the avatar.

“It was nothing. I’m just glad you’re my friend,” Korra lied.

Tak’s expression didn’t change. He simply held out his arm for Korra and she clasped it.

“Goodbye.”

Korra let go of Tak’s arm. She turned to start to walk up the ramp when she was stopped by Tak’s hold on her arm. Korra looked over her shoulder at him.

“Please, Arrok. You seemed very nervous back there and I’m worried. You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“O-of course,” Korra stuttered, “Really, it’s nothing.”

Tak still held her arm and looked at her face as if he could find the truth hiding there. He really did seem worried about her. _No, he’s not worried about you. He’s worried about Arrok._ Korra looked away and shook her arm out of his grip.

“I have to go now. Goodbye, Tak.”

Tak wasn’t convinced at all by his friend’s words, but he knew he was done with this conversation, “Bye, Arrok.”

Korra shifted her gaze forward again and continued her walk up the ramp. Tak watched her ascend from the bottom of the ramp. When she reached the deck she waved down at him and grinned. Tak waved back and, though he knew his friend couldn’t hear him, he said, “Don’t get into any trouble, Hotshot.”

* * *

**Republic City**

Asami walked down the storelined street. She was sent out to retrieve an order for Future Industries. It was really for her father and Amon. They told her that they were only in the beginning phases of the movement so it wouldn’t be very exciting for a while. Until then, she was to simply keep up her training and continue working on the prototypes for the gloves. The gloves were the reason why she was out now to pick up the said order. Under the guise of Future Industries they could order plenty of metal materials without causing any suspicion.

Asami came upon the store that sold the particular metal she needed and entered. Shelves upon shelves of various metal sheets, nuts and bolts, and other odds and ends crowded the store. Asami marched up to the counter at the front of the store.

“Hello, I’m here to pick up the order for Future Industries.”

The man behind the counter looked up at her, “Of course, Ms. Sato,” he slid a clipboard across the counter toward her with a pen, “Please sign this while I go to the back to get it.”

Asami signed the board and waited as the man went to the back of the store. He returned shortly with a large box.

“Are you going to need help carrying this?”

“I can handle it, thank you,” Asami responded.

The man nodded and handed the box off to Asami. The box was a little heavy and bulky but she could manage. She pushed the store’s door open with her hip and immediately collided with a girl who happened to be walking past right at that moment causing her to drop her box and consequently trip over it.

“Oh! I’m so sorry, are you alright?”

Asami looked up to see a girl around her age holding her hand out toward her. Asami decided to take it and rose to her feet, “It’s alright. It’s as much of my fault as it yours.”

“That’s a pretty big box you’re carrying, would you like some help?”

Asami considered the girl in front of her for a second. She was wearing all blue and wore her hair in a high ponytail. Asami didn’t necessarily need help, but considering this girl was wearing blue she could be from the water tribe and therefore might have some information on the avatar.

Asami flashed a smile, “That would be great! Thanks! Could you pick up that side of the box?”

Each girl picked up one side and together they started carrying it down the street.

“So, are you from one of the water tribes? I couldn’t help but notice your clothing,” Asami asked.

“Yeah, the Northern Water Tribe.”

“Does that mean you know the avatar?”

The other girl almost dropped her side of the box, “Um, yeah actually he stayed with my family while he learned waterbending.We are, uh, kind of related.”

“Wow! So, that makes you friends with the avatar!”

“I suppose you can say that.”

Asami gasped, “Wait, is that why you are here? Did you come with him from the North Pole? Is the avatar here now?”

“Well, we did come on the same boat. However, we split up after our arrival so I have no idea where he is in the city, sorry.”

Asami tried not to sound disappointed, “It’s okay. Do you think you could introduce me to him? I don’t meet a lot of people my age and I heard that he is around the same age as us. Wouldn’t it be fun if we all became friends?”

The girl frowned a bit, “Uh, I don’t know. I’m sure Arrok will be pretty busy with avatar stuff and I will probably be going back to the North Pole.”

“Oh, that’s a shame.”

They walked on in silence for a few beats.

“By the way, where exactly are we heading?”

They had been walking for a bit, Asami slightly leading the way. She saw the mansion come into view and nodded her head toward it, “There.”

The girl looked up at the mansion, “Wow.” 

They finished the walk up to the mansion and dropped the box just before the front door.

“Well, thank you for your help,” Asami said.

“No problem,” the girl said and started to walk away. She had gotten a good distance away when it struck Asami that they never even exchanged names.

“Wait!” Asami yelled after her, “We never told each other our names! I’m Asami!”

The girl turned around and cupped her hands around her mouth to shout back, “Korra!” and then disappeared, running off into the city.

* * *

Korra didn’t know why she gave her real name to that girl. It was stupid, really. Korra knew that today might be the only day she could get away with being her true self and not have to be the avatar, Arrok. No one knew on which boat or when the avatar was coming so she got away with coming off the boat as Korra. Tomorrow, she would don her Arrok persona and start her avatar training, but tonight, the night of her arrival, was for her to be herself and free. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be the avatar, she actually loved the fact that she was the avatar and couldn’t wait to start training, but she wanted to be Korra too.

Why did she even talk to the girl? And why did she tell the girl that she was going back to the North Pole? Everyone at the North Pole thought that Korra was staying with Arrok in Republic city. If those two bits of information crossed there would be a lot of questions. Then again, the other girl, Asami, didn’t know anyone from the North Pole except for her, right? So it didn’t matter where the girl thought Korra was.

Korra decided to stop worrying about it, there really wasn’t much she could do anyway by worrying. The next time she ran into Asami, if she ran into Asami, she would be Arrok and the girl would be happier for it anyway. Anyone would be more excited about seeing the avatar than just a water tribe girl anyway. She didn’t know that it would be five years until they would even met again and that they wouldn’t even recognize each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed the update! Gotta be honest, I don't really have a schedule for this fic so please bear with me! Also, feel free to share your thoughts if you want! :) -MB


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm so bad at regularly writing! I hope y'all enjoy the update! -Musical MB

**Republic City**

**5 Years Later**

_ Smack! Thump!  _

“Arrok, focus!”

“I-”

_ Smack!  _

“Am!”

_ Thump! _

“Oof!”

Korra found herself sprawled on the ground, frustrated and embarrassed. She had been trying to master this exercise that involved rotating panels and having to maneuver through them untouched for what seemed like hours. She had yet to get through the course without being roughly ejected out the sides much less getting through it untouched.

She was currently on Air Temple Island in Republic City training under the only airbending master in the world, Tenzin, the son of Katara and Aang. His kids, Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo, were also around for her training and it was embarrassing to get shown up by a bunch of kids. She’s the  _ avatar _ , this shouldn’t be that hard. The other elements hadn’t posed any problems for her to learn.

“Come on, Arrok! Be the leaf!” Meelo shouted at her as he came to stand over her holding a leaf in her face.

Korra just let out a frustrated groan. Jinora and Ikki also walked over to Korra. Jinora pulled Meelo’s hand away from Korra’s face as Ikki smiled at Korra.

“You’ll get it!” Ikki tried to say encouragingly.

“I should already get it! None of the other elements took me this long to get!” Korra shouted, exasperated.

Jinora calmly replied, “Not everything will come easily to you, some things take time to learn and master.”

Korra shot Jinora a look and sat up, “Well you didn’t seem to have any problem! You practically floated right through the course!”

Jinora’s voice remained level, “I was born an airbender and only an airbender. I’ve been training for years. Airbending isn’t natural for you and you have three other elements you’re trying to juggle. You shouldn’t compare yourself to airbenders who’ve basically had practice since birth.”

She was right. Korra knew she was right. She still hated it.

“I’m done today,” Korra said as she stood up.

“You can’t expect to get better if you just give up when something gets hard,” Tenzin finally spoke up.

Korra’s face turned red, “I’m not giving up! I just- I need a break.”

Before Tenzin or any of his kids could protest, Korra turned around sharply and walked away from the airbenders. Soon her walk broke into a run and Air Temple Island was rushing by her. She quickly came upon the edge of the island and without a second thought she dove straight into the water letting it swallow her. Using her waterbending, she shot through the water toward the main land of Republic City. She didn’t know where exactly she was trying to go, she just knew that she needed space from the island and its airbenders.

She finally reached the mainland and shot herself out of the sea in a spout of water landing on the ground and sending the water back into the ocean. She didn’t often get to see the mainland. Even before her airbending training started, Korra had lived on Air Temple Island for the last five years with other elemental masters coming to her on the island for training. She got to visit the mainland a few times, always with a chaperone or guards, but most of the time she was kept on the island.  

Korra looked around and found herself in a park. On the other side of the park she saw a small platform with a small man shouting and passing out flyers. Behind the platform, someone wearing a motorcycle helmet with a dark visor that masked their face leaned against a Satomobile motorcycle, looking around the park. A few people milled around or passed by the platform. Curious, Korra made her way to the platform.

“Tired of being pushed around by benders? Want equality? Join the Equalist Movement!” the protester shouted.

Korra furrowed her brows and crossed her arms, now standing only a few feet away from the protester. What did he mean, “being pushed around by benders?” Korra was a bender and she never pushed anyone around. Tenzin, Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo definitely weren’t mistreating anybody.

“How are you being pushed around by benders?” Korra asked.

The protester stopped shouting and looked at her. The idle motorcyclist turned their head toward her as well, suddenly interested.

“The benders have been oppressing us for too long! The Equalist Movement strives to level the playing field and stop the inequality! Are you interested in our cause?”

“Not exactly,” Korra said as she burned the flyer in her hand without even looking at it.

The protester jumped backward and let out a surprised shout. The motorcyclist straightened and stood looking ready to take action.

“A bender!”

“Not just a bender. I’m the avatar!” Korra pointed her thumb at herself, “And I don’t understand what you’re doing here. Benders aren’t hurting anyone!”

“Not hurting anyone?!” the man shouted, exasperated, “Who do you think started the hundred year war? Firebenders. Who makes up the city’s gangs? All types of benders!”

“Well-”

“I say if you’re the avatar, you’re just as bad as the rest of them!”

“Oh, yeah?”

Korra already wasn’t having a good day, and this man was only making her angrier by the second. She got into an earthbending stance, ready to shake the ground beneath the man just a little to get him to quit bothering her. She raised her leg but never got the chance to complete her move. In a flash, the motorcyclist was in front of Korra and hooked Korra’s foot with their own, yanking it upward and causing Korra to lose balance and fall backward. The motorcyclist motioned the protester to run, which he quickly did.

Korra rose back to her feet and glared at the mysterious person in front of her who only calmly stood watching her too.

“So, you must be an equalist too.”

Korra’s opponent didn’t respond.

“Listen, I’m like the avatar, so you know I’m kind of a big deal. I’m supposed to like keep the world in balance and all that.”

“That’s rich,” the helmeted person cut her off.

Korra’s eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t really expected a response.

“What do you mean by that?”

The motorcyclist didn’t answer but instead threw a small metal ball on the ground. It exploded on impact filling the park with smoke. Korra bent over coughing from the smoke and tried to fan it away.  _ Airbending sure would come in handy about now,  _ Korra thought bitterly. Korra heard a motorcycle rev up and drive away, so by the time the smoke cleared she wasn’t surprised when the other person was gone.

“Who was that?”

* * *

 

“Come in.”

Asami opened the door to her father’s office and saw her father and Amon already inside. They watched her as she sat in one of the chairs facing Hiroshi’s desk.  

“How was the protest?” Amon asked as soon as she settled in, straight to the point.

“It was fine, you know, until the avatar showed up,” she responded nonchalantly.

“The avatar?” Hiroshi exclaimed, “But they never let him off the island.”

“He was alone, I don’t think he asked permission.”

“And?” Amon cut in.

“He tried to attack our protester, but I was too quick for him.”

“Is he still here?”

Asami looked at Amon, “I wouldn’t know. I threw a smoke bomb and disappeared.”

“Did you say anything?”

Asami knew she wasn’t supposed to speak under the helmet. When she wore the motorcycle helmet she was Amon’s mysterious right hand man, who was to remain anonymous. If someone heard the voice of the person closest to Amon and matched it to the voice of none other than the Future Industries’s heiress, Asami Sato, then the whole operation would be ruined and they would all be in trouble.

“Of course not,” Asami lied unblinkingly.

“Good, I want you to go back and see if the avatar is still there.”

“Fine,” Asami stood and took her motorcycle keys out of her pocket. 

Amon snatched the keys out of her hand, earning him a glare from Asami. 

“As Asami.”

Asami simply looked at him curiously.

“I want you to befriend him. Get him to trust you and reveal everything there is to know about him.”

Asami nodded and walked to the door. She was just outside the room with her hand on the knob to shut the door once again when Amon added, “You know, your father told me how you used to always say that you wanted to be friends with the avatar.”

She didn’t need to see under his mask to know he was smiling, she could hear it in his voice. She shut the door between them.

* * *

After the park cleared of smoke, Korra decided to explore a bit. This was the first time she was on the mainland of Republic City alone and there was so much to see. She walked around the park, enjoying the peace after what just transpired. She had been walking around for a bit when her stomach started to growl. She spotted a food stand near the edge of the park and walked toward it.

“Hello!”

The women working the stand looked at Korra and smiled pleasantly, “Hello, young sir. Would you like the special today?”

Korra had absolutely no idea what the special was, but she was starving and would take anything, “Yes, please!”

The woman pulled a stick full of meat and veggies out of a pot in her stand and handed it off to Korra. Korra licked her lips and was about to take a bite when she heard the woman clear her throat. Korra looked over at the woman who held her hand out.

Korra lowered the food and grinned sheepishly at the woman,“Um, actually I don’t exactly have any money.”

The woman frowned at Korra, “No money, no foo-”

“I have the money.”

Korra wheeled around and saw a dark haired woman walk up to the stand. She placed some money in the stand lady’s hand then she hooked her arm around Korra’s and lead Korra away from the stand without looking back.

“Wow, thank you for that,” Korra said.

“It was no big deal,” the woman let go of Korra’s arm and held out her hand, “I’m Asami.”

* * *

Asami held her hand out to the avatar, smiling pleasantly.

The avatar took Asami’s hand with his food-free hand, “Arrok.”

Asami gasped, “Wait a minute, you’re not Arrok as in the avatar, are you?”

“Yeah, that’s me,” Arrok said then took a bite of his food.

“Whoa! No way! I can’t believe I’m with the avatar!”

Arrok finished off his food, “Yeah, the avatar. Great, isn’t it.”

Asami could hear the disappointment in his voice. That was odd, time to switch tactics.

“Of course, you probably get that all the time,” Asami looked down and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, “I totally get that with being a prodigy heiress and all.”

“Prodigy heiress?” the avatar stopped walking.

_Gotcha._ Asami stopped a few steps in front of Arrok and turned around to face him. “Asami Sato as in the satomobile. My dad is Hiroshi Sato, the founder of Future Industries.”

As Asami faced Arrok she finally got a really good look at him. He was shorter than she was with brown skin and dark brown hair. He had blue eyes and wore blue clothes to match, an immediate giveaway that he was water tribe. Something about his face seemed familiar, too.

“Oh, Asami! I remember you now!” the avatar suddenly burst out.

Asami frowned and furrowed her eyebrows. She had never met the avatar before so how could he possibly remember her?

“Ah, er- I mean, uh, yes, Sato! I recognize that name now!” he laughed nervously.

Asami narrowed her eyes at Arrok, he was acting strange. Although, she had thought that he looked familiar. She walked right up to Arrok, standing only about a foot away.

“You know, you do look kind of familiar.”

“You’ve probably just seen my face in the papers or something.”

“No, that’s not it,” Asami continued to stare at Arrok intently.

“Maybe you’ve seen my cousin Korra around. People do say that we look a lot alike,” Asami noticed him say just a bit too quickly as he took a step back.

_ Korra!  _ Asami remembered now. Korra was the girl from years ago that she had run into outside the store, literally. She supposed that could be why Arrok looked so familiar to her, but he had said that he remembered her as if he were there. Also, Asami wouldn’t have just seen Korra around, she hadn’t seen her in five years. Asami couldn’t help but think something was off.

“That must be it,” she responded. She could hear the avatar sigh in relief.  _ Something is definitely going on here.  _ “It’s uncanny really.”

“Haha, yeah. We get that a lot.”

Asami put on a bright smile, “You know, if you’re still hungry I can take you to this nice restaurant I know.”

Arrok opened his mouth to protest but Asami cut him off, “It’s on me! Don’t worry about money, seriously. I am an heiress, after all,” Asami winked.

Arrok grinned, “I guess I’ll take you up on that offer then.”

“Arrok!”

* * *

Korra’s face fell as she heard Tenzin’s voice calling her name. She looked around Asami and sure enough could see Tenzin walking around the side of the park closest to the ocean looking for her.

“If we want to make it to this restaurant, we’re gonna have to run!”

“Wha-” Asami started to turn around to see what Korra was looking at but was cut off as Korra grabbed her hand and dashed in the opposite direction toward the streets of Republic City pulling Asami behind her.

“Ok, we’re running,” Asami shouted as she ran after the avatar, who still held her hand.

Korra looked over her shoulder briefly to see that Tenzin was still wandering around the park shouting for the avatar. Good, he didn’t see her. They had run into the streets of the city and turned a couple corners before Korra finally stopped running.

“I think… we lost him,” Korra huffed. She looked around her surroundings for the first time and realized she had no idea where she was in the city. “Um, and I got us lost,” Korra smiled awkwardly.

Asami stood next to Korra, also trying to catch her breath. She realized that the avatar was still holding her hand and wondered if he was aware of it. It felt nice. Warm.  

Asami smiled softly, “You may be lost, but I’m not. Don’t worry,  I grew up here. I know where we are,”Asami tightened her grip on the avatar’s hand and lead him down the street. “If we want to make it to the restaurant we gotta go this way and when we get there you can tell me what that was all about.”

* * *

Korra stood in the lobby of the restaurant as Asami talked to someone behind the host counter. Korra immediately felt out of place as soon as she saw the front of the restaurant building and upon entering found people in fancy clothes and lavish decorations making her feel even more so out of place. She looked down at her own clothing that definitely did not fit the dress code.

Asami finally came back smiling, “I’ve arranged a table for us in the back in case you still need to hide.”

“That’s really nice, but uh, I don’t think I’m up to standard here,” Korra gestured to her clothing.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got that covered too,” as Asami said this, a footman came up with folded clothes in his arms for Korra, “I’m going to change, too. Meet you at the table in a few minutes.”

“Okay.”

The footman led Korra to a side room, laid the clothes down on a chair, and then approached Korra as if he were going to take the clothes off of her himself. Then Korra realized that was exactly what he was going to do.

“Ahh...I can do it myself, thanks,” Korra jumped backward and snatched the clothes from the chair.

“If you insist,” the footman said.

“I do,” Korra responded and stood there clutching the clothing to her chest, watching the footman until he finally left the room.

Korra let out a breath and quickly stripped out of her clothing and started to put on the newer clothes, and suddenly, it made sense why the footman was going to help her change. The clothes didn’t make sense to her at all. Of course, that probably had more to do with the fact that she never had to dress up formally as a guy before. She tried her best to put everything on that seemed to make the most sense and walked out of the room. The footman was waiting outside and led her to the back of the restaurant where Asami already sat at their table. Korra stopped and couldn’t help but stare. Asami wore a long red dress with a darker red sash around her waist and matching sleeves. She looked stunning. Asami looked up and grinned at Korra who in turn blushed and realized she was staring. Korra quickly sat down.

Asami leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her folded hands, “You look pretty snazzy.”

Korra fiddled with her sleeves, “Thanks. You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” the corners of Asami’s mouth turned upward. Korra couldn’t help but notice her beautiful, dark red lips. She caught herself staring again and immediately looked down at the table blushing. This only caused Asami to smile more.

“So, how are you liking the big city? I bet it’s a lot different than the North Pole or even Air Temple Island.”

Korra looked back up and responded, “It is. You know when I first came here, when I was 13, I thought that I would get to have more fun and explore the city. Boy, was I wrong. They have pretty much kept me cooped up on Air Temple Island and Tenzin is just so strict and serious.”

“I take it Tenzin is the man who was looking for you earlier?”

“Yeah,” Korra didn’t elaborate any further.

“Remember, telling me what that was all about was part of the deal,” Asami wheedled.

Korra sighed, “Okay, so, Tenzin is the only airbending master, son of Aang and all that, which I’m sure everyone already knows. He is supposed to be training me in airbending right now and I’m staying on Air Temple Island with his family and the White Lotus Guards.”

“White Lotus guards?” Asami interrupted.

“Yeah, they are a part of some group or something dedicated to the safety of the avatar and all that. But, anyway, no matter how hard I try I can’t airbend. And today I got particularly frustrated at an exercise, especially because of how easily his children were able to go through it, and I just kind of stormed off and wound up here.”

Asami raised her eyebrows, “Wow, Avatar gone rogue.”

“I haven’t gone rogue!”

Asami laughed, “I’m only teasing!”

Korra smiled at Asami, “I-”

“Excuse me, everyone,” Korra was interrupted by a hostess making an announcement in the center of the restaurant. She turned around in her seat to see what was happening and saw behind the hostess a stern looking woman with grey, short hair and two parallel scars on her right cheek. She was wearing a sort of metallic uniform. The hostess continued, “The police is looking for a young man around eighteen with brown hair and blue eyes. He is from the Northern Water Tribe, last seen wearing blue.”

“He didn’t,” Korra glowered.

“That is, we are looking for Avatar Arrok.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey I finally have another update! Sorry it took so long and its kinda short. I've been busy lately with work and planning my study abroad trip and on top of all that I've been sick. It might seem a little filler-y but I promise (hope) the next chapter will have more happening. I hope you all enjoy and I hope to get a fresh start on the new chapter and not get stuck for so long. -Musical MB
> 
> Oh also if anyone is interested, has questions, or whatever my Tumblr is https://musical-mockingbird.tumblr.com   
> (musical-mockingbird)

Asami saw Korra’s shoulders tense as the hostess made the announcement in the middle of the restaurant. She could feel the eyes of everyone in the restaurant turn toward their table as they all realized who exactly was sitting there.

“I cannot believe him,” Korra growled.

Asami looked from Korra to the grey-haired woman who stood next to the hostess. She recognized the woman as the the chief of police, Lin Beifong, daughter of Toph Beifong. Lin said something to the hostess and pointed at their table. Meanwhile, Korra turned her back on both of the women and glared at the wall behind Asami. 

As Lin Beifong approached, Asami stood up, planting both of her hands on the table to push herself up and frowned at Lin, “What’s going on?”

Lin stopped behind Korra’s chair, her arms crossed. Korra continued to not acknowledge Lin’s existence, still glaring at the wall. “I was told that the avatar went missing and asked to help find him.” 

“Well, you found him and, as you can see, he is fine. So, if you would kindly leave us be.”

“I can’t do that,” Lin directed her attention to Korra who still refused to acknowledge her, “Tenzin is waiting for you at headquarters, you can come with me.” 

Asami looked at the avatar and then back up to Lin, “He hasn’t even been gone a whole day. Surely there is a protocol or something. You can’t just go looking for everyone who disappears for a couple of hours.”

“I can when it’s the avatar who goes missing.”

Suddenly, Korra pushed her chair back from the table, stood, and whirled around to face Lin. “I wasn’t missing! I’m not a child who needs constant supervision and kept cooped up on some dumb island! I  _ am _ the avatar, and I can take care of myself!”

Lin raised her eyebrows at Korra, “This sounds like a conversation for Tenzin.”

"And what if I don't want to see him?"

Lin was starting to get a little impatient, "Listen, kid, I'm just doing my job. I don't care that you're the avatar. Tenzin called me to come find you and bring you back and that's what I'm going to do."

Korra glared at Lin who only glared right back at her. Asami looked between the two of them then said softly, “Arrok-”

Korra shook her head, cutting off Asami, “It’s fine,” she faced her and smiled, “Thank you for today. I hope we can meet up again soon.”

Asami smiled weakly back, “Me too.” 

Korra straightened and started to walk toward the exit, not even turning to see if Lin was following. Lin nodded at Asami and followed the avatar out of the restaurant. 

Asami sat back down and sighed.  _ Well that didn’t go the way I had hoped.  _

“Miss?” 

Asami looked up to see the waiter. They hadn’t even had gotten the chance to order their food.

“Actually I have to-” before Asami could finish turning the waiter away a thought struck her, “Actually, I think I’m going to take some food to go.”

* * *

 

Korra followed Lin Beifong to the police headquarters. She was practically fuming the whole way and they simply walked together in silence. When they arrived at the headquarters Lin turned around before opening the door to face Korra. 

“Listen, I know it’s not really my place, but Tenzin was just worried about you,” Lin said. 

Korra glared at her, “You’re right, it really isn’t your place.” 

She reached past Lin and opened the door, entering the headquarters. Inside there were different officers bustling around or sitting behind desks, all looking busy. 

“He’s probably waiting in my office,” Lin came up behind Korra. 

“Fine, lead the way.”

Lin led Korra to her office and sure enough when she opened the door they found Tenzin pacing around the office. Lin held the door open for Korra and motioned her to enter ahead of her. Tenzin stopped pacing and looked up as he saw Korra enter the office. 

“Arrok!” Tenzin started to walk toward Korra, arms outstretched, “I’ve been so worried since you went missing.”

Korra crossed her arms and turned at an angle, closing herself off from Tenzin, who stopped mid step after seeing her reaction. 

“I wasn’t missing, and I can’t believe you called the police!” Korra yelled. 

Tenzin furrowed his eyebrows, “I was worried when you ran off and didn’t come back,” he put his hand on Korra’s shoulder, “I’m supposed to take care of you.”

Korra brushed off his hand, “No, you’re supposed to teach me airbending, that’s it.” 

Tenzin stepped back from Korra, not knowing how to respond. Lin looked between the two, but stayed out of the argument. 

“Well, are you taking me back now, or what?” 

Tenzin sighed, “I suppose.”

Korra breezed past him, never turning back to see if he was following. 

“He’s a teenager, Tenzin. He doesn’t mean to hurt you, I’m sure,” Lin walked over to her desk to sit down, “Also, if you ask me, maybe you should give the kid some space. Don’t turn the island into a prison.”

Tenzin nodded, “Thank you for finding him, Lin.”

Lin simply waved him off. Tenzin left the office and followed after Korra. He followed her in silence for a bit thinking about what Lin had said. She was right, the avatar was old enough to have some freedom and keeping him blocked off from the rest of the city wouldn’t help him become the avatar he needed to be. Arrok’s words had stung though. Tenzin tried to be caring toward the boy since he came to the island at 13 years old and yet here they were, an angry teenager who was pushing him away. Maybe giving him more space like Lin suggested would help. Maybe it would only put him in danger and cause Tenzin more worries.

* * *

 

Korra heard Tenzin’s steps behind her, but she still refused to acknowledge him as they walked out of the headquarters and down the street. She was still angry at him. She ran off today because she needed space from the island and its inhabitants, but he came right after her as if she were a runaway child. 

“Arrok,” Tenzin tried to talk to Korra, who proceeded to ignore him. He wanted to treat her like a child? Fine, then she would act like one. 

“Arrok, if you’re not going to talk then, please just listen,” Tenzin continued, “I was only worried,” Korra made a sound of disgust at hearing this familiar phrase, but Tenzin kept going, “But, that doesn’t mean I should have treated you like a child.” This caught her attention. “I think- I think you deserve a bit more freedom which is why from now on you can come to the mainland of Republic City without chaperones.”

“Really?” Korra asked excitedly.  

“But you need to tell us when you leave,” Tenzin quickly added, “There are dangerous people out there and we can’t have the avatar disappearing.”

“Yeah, yeah I understand. Thank you!” Korra hugged Tenzin. Just like that her harsh words towards him seemed forgotten, typical teenager. 

Tenzin smiled down at the avatar and returned the hug. Looked like he made some progress, he just hoped that the avatar wouldn’t get into too much trouble, especially with the rising equalist movement he had heard whispers about.

* * *

 

An hour later, Asami stood at the entrance of the airbenders’ temple with her basket of food in hand and her eyes staring at the three children that crowded the main door she had just knocked, two girls and one boy.

“Hello, um, is Arrok here?” Asami asked awkwardly. 

The two girls smiled and looked at each other while the boy crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at Asami. The younger of the two girls turned from the door and ran into the temple shouting, “Arrok! There’s a girl here! Is she your girlfriend?” 

The older girl ran after her little sister, “Ikki!”

This left Asami at the door with the youngest of the children, the boy. She awkwardly smiled at him as he continued to stare at her through narrowed eyes. 

“Hi, I’m Asami, I’m a...friend of Arrok.” 

The boy jabbed a thumb at his chest, “The name’s Meelo. How do I know that you’re really a friend of Arrok?” 

Asami was taken aback by this boy’s aggressiveness, “Uh, well actually we just met today but I kinda made him a deal and I need to make good on my part of it,” she held up the basket. 

Meelo considered the basket and then Asami until finally he shrugged, “Sounds good to me! Wanna see a trick?” 

Asami blinked in surprise. This boy was all over the place. “Sure,” she said while looking over the boy’s head into the temple. She wondered how far along the girls were in finding Arrok. 

“Watch this!” Meelo whipped out three little marbles and spun them in circles between his hands using airbending. 

Asami didn’t really care about the little airbender’s trick but, knowing he lived with the avatar, Asami thought she might be able to get something useful out of him as she waited. So she responded, “Wow, that’s so cool! You know, it’s also very cool that the avatar lives with you. How is that like?”

Meelo stopped airbending the marbles, “I guess it’s cool. I do like having another guy around, even if he acts a little weird.”

“Acts weird how?”

Meelo picked his nose with his pinky as he spoke, “He does a lot of things in private and doesn’t normally let a lot of people near him and he gets all jumpy when we ask too many personal questions. Oh! Sometimes when he gets really emotional or caught off guard his voice goes really high. I think it’s because he’s the avatar and he has had girl past lives so sometimes their voices come out instead of his.”

Asami stifled a giggle, “I don’t think that’s how voices work.”

“Yeah it is!” 

Asami shrugged, you can’t argue with the logic of a child. 

Asami finally saw Arrok approach the front door with the two girls flanking her on either side. She could see Ikki, the younger of the two, talking a mile a minute to Arrok as they came closer. 

“How did you meet her? She’s so pretty! You guys probably make a cute couple. Can I go with you on your next date?”

“Ikki, stop!” the avatar shouted back at the girl as he reached the door. As he turned to face Asami, though, his voice grew soft, “Oh, hey Asami. What brings you to Air Temple Island?”

Asami glanced at the kids who still crowded the entrance behind Arrok and then looked at him holding up the basket of food, “We made a deal. You held up your part of it and now it's time I held up mine.”

“Aw, how sweet!” the oldest child, Jinora, said from behind Arrok. 

Arrok turned to face the kids, “Ok, everyone can leave now.”

“Awww,” the kids protested. 

“Come on, Arrok wants some alone time with his  _ girlfriend _ ,” Jinora teased while leading the other two away. 

Meelo held up two fingers to his eyes then moved them to point at Asami in the “I’m watching you” gesture which didn’t come off as intimidating at all, but rather cute. Ikki clasped her hands together as she walked away. 

“She isn’t my girlfriend!” the avatar shouted at them as they walked away. Asami noticed how his voice did seem to go up a few octaves just like Meelo said it does, interesting. 

“Sorry about them,” Arrok rubbed the back of his neck, “They can get a little excited.”

“It’s alright, it’s very cute,” Asami smiled at the avatar who blushed in return. She held up the basket once more, “So, want to find a place to eat this?” 

“Definitely.” 

“Lead the way,” Asami grinned, partly because of her opportunity to try to get more information on the avatar for Amon, but also partly because, even if she wouldn’t admit it to herself, the idea of spending time with Arrok was very appealing and made her heart speed up just a little bit.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so I tried really hard to get this chapter out pretty quickly because I'm leaving to go study abroad for a month and I wasn't sure when I'd get an opportunity to post again. I hope it doesn't seem rushed. Enjoy! -Musical MB

**Chapter 6**

Korra and Asami sat on the shore of the island eating out of Asami’s food basket. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining and the waves crashing in the distance. Asami could almost believe that this really was a date. Almost. She knew that she still had a job to do.

“So, is it just you and Tenzin’s family on the island?” Asami asked between bites of food.

“And the white lotus guards,” Korra added.

“Why are there guards on the island? The airbenders don’t seem the type to keep bodyguards around.”

Korra shrugged and gazed out on the ocean, “I don’t know. They’ve just always been here for as long as I’ve been here.”

“And they’re supposed to go wherever you go? Which is why you were running away today.”

Korra actually smiled at this, “Yeah, except I have good news! Tenzin talked to me on the way back to the island and I can now visit the mainland whenever I want without guards or chaperones!”

“That is good news!” _For more than you know, Avatar._

“Yeah! I can’t wait to explore more, and see you!”

Asami froze, a forkful of food hovering in front of her mouth, “See me?”

“Yeah, um, I thought we could be friends,” the avatar blushed and looked down,

_“Maybe we can be friends!”_ Asami’s memory of the conversation with her father came flooding back to her, when she had first heard about the avatar. When she had thought that they could be friends. That was before Amon, before the equalists. She was younger then and more naive.

Asami forced a smile, “Of course!” She quickly shoved the forkful of food in her mouth.

Korra looked up at Asami and smiled brightly, “I’m so excited to finally have a friend here in Republic City.”

The food turned to cement in Asami’s mouth. She managed to swallow and said, “I’m your first friend here?”

“Uh-huh. Up until now I couldn’t really just go to Republic City, so I couldn’t really make friends. And even if I did go to the city, I would always have guards with me and it would be a quick trip, not very good for making friends,” Korra softly laughed, “Of course, I have Tenzin, Pema, Jinora, Ikki, and Meelo, but they are basically family to me.”

Asami felt cold. The avatar across from her seemed so happy to finally have a friend in the city. He just wanted someone to spend time with and share things with. And what was Asami doing? Exploiting that want, no, that _need_ for friendship.

Asami abruptly stood up. “I- I just remembered that I have an errand to do in the city,” she lied shakily. She felt the sudden need to get out of there.

The avatar looked up at Asami questioningly, “What about the rest of the food? And the basket?”

“Keep it.”

“Is everything okay?” Korra stood up watching Asami.

“Yes, I just have to go.”

As Asami responded she turned away from the avatar but her foot caught in the sand causing her to stumble. Korra was quick, however, and caught Asami from behind, holding both of her arms with steadying hands.

“Are you sure?”

_His hands feel so warm_. “Yes, I just-,” Asami looked over her shoulder into the avatar’s eyes, “I’m sorry.”

With that, Asami ran out of the avatar’s arms and down the shore to where the boat to take her home was waiting for her. Korra simply stood and watched her run away. The look that Asami had given her and the way she said sorry made Korra think that she was apologizing for something more than just leaving.

* * *

Asami practically ran the whole way down the beach to her boat. She never stopped until she found herself up the boarding ramp and at the front of the boat. She gripped the railing and stared out to the sea as the boat took off toward the mainland, lost in thought.

Asami felt her feelings battling each other. Mere hours ago, she had no problem manipulating the avatar for information, using any edge she had to give the equalists an advantage. What had changed? It wasn’t that something had changed, Asami realized, but rather that feelings had resurfaced. Asami hadn’t expected the avatar to want to befriend her so quickly and it had reminded her of her childish dreams of being friends with the avatar. But that was when she was young and didn’t know better. Asami steeled herself, gripping the rail until her knuckles turned white. No. She would not let her old childish wishes come back. She knew more now, she knew better. The avatar could not be a friend. An enemy could never be a friend. And the person that practically represented all benders and therefore abused non-benders had to be the enemy. Asami reminded herself of her responsibility to her fellow non-benders. She decided that she wouldn't allow her feelings to get in the way of her job. No matter what her mind decided, however, it couldn't stop her traitorous heart from wanting what it wanted.

The boat arrived at the pier in Republic City and Asami straightened up. Waiting for her at the pier was the man she only knew as the Lieutenant, Amon's other right hand man that didn't have to hide in the shadows. He wasn't actually Amon’s second, that position belonged to Asami, however, she was a secret, so he acted as second in public. This led to some tension between the two, he didn't like Amon's favor toward Asami and he let her know that. Asami left the boat and walked up to the lieutenant on the pier.

“Have fun?” he asked.

Asami simply breezed past him, “Does he know you're here?”

The lieutenant followed closely behind her, “I’m here on his orders.”

They continued walking forward without either one of them saying anything until they reached a stack of crates waiting to be loaded onto a ship. Asami ducked behind the crates and the lieutenant followed. Now no one could see them.

“So, he sent you directly,” Asami crossed her arms and picked up where the conversation left off.

“Well, maybe not me directly but he did tell me to send a message to you.”

“And you thought telling me personally was a good idea?” Asami hissed, “You know how disastrous it would be for the whole operation if I’m seen talking to you.”

“Disastrous for the operation, or for you?” the lieutenant responded.

In a flash, Asami flung the lieutenant against the wall of crates pinning him there with her arm across his upper chest and shoulders.

“Do not forget your place,” Asami said in a dangerously low tone, “Your jealousy fueled stupidity could ruin everything, including yourself, so I would be more careful when interpreting your orders.”

Asami released the lieutenant and crossed her arms, “Well? What's the message?”

The lieutenant tried to straighten his clothes, “Just that Amon wished to see you as soon as you arrived.”

“What else would I do?” Asami responded tiredly, “Anything else?”

“He’s waiting at this address,” the lieutenant handed Asami a small scrap of paper.

“Great,” Asami turned away from the lieutenant and took a couple of steps away from the crates before stopping and calling over her shoulder, “And just a tip, don't let your jealousy control you so much.”

With that Asami walked away from the now silent man and toward the address on the scrap of paper.

* * *

Back at Air Temple Island, Korra sat with Jinora in the meditation pavilion. She was supposed to be working on meditating to try to connect with her spiritual side, but she couldn't help her mind from wandering to the same thing.

“Pst, Jinora,” Korra whispered with one eye still closed and the other peeking at Jinora.

Jinora’s eyes remained shut, “If you're talking, you're not focusing.”

Korra pouted but continued anyway, “Yeah yeah but I can't focus anyway, so does it really matter?”

Jinora sighed and opened her eyes, “You’re never going to get better if you keep doing this.”

“Doing what?”

“Giving up, making excuses.”

“I'm not-! Ok, ok, whatever, just can I talk to you about something?”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yes, no, maybe. I don't know,” Korra bit her lip.

Jinora uncrossed her legs and scooted closer to Korra, “Hey, it's ok. Wanna talk to me about it?”

Korra nodded, “So, you know how I met that girl today?”

“Yeah,” Jinora answered.

“Well, you read a lot of books, including romance, and so I was wondering if you could give me some advice.”

Jinora raised her eyebrows and grinned, “So you do like her!”

Korra blushed, “Maybe, yeah, I think so. But I kinda have a problem.”

“Oh?”

“I'm not 100% who she thinks I am.”

Jinora raised her eyebrows but did not interrupt, waiting for the avatar to elaborate.

“I like her, but I don't know if I can tell her because I'm not who I say I am.”

“And who does she think you are?”

“Arrok, the avatar.”

“And are you not Arrok the avatar?”

Korra shook her head, “I’m-,” Korra raised her head and took a breath, “I’m Avatar Korra of the Northern Water Tribe.”

Jinora responded calmly, “So, there is no cousin Korra.”

Korra shook her head, “No, because I am Korra. Arrok and Korra are one and the same.”

Jinora simply nodded, “Okay.”

“That's it? Okay?” Korra had expected a much different reaction.

“I kind of suspected something was up but it wasn't my business to go digging around your personal life. I respect whoever you say you are. Whether that be Arrok, the boy, or Korra the girl.”

“Thanks,” Korra smiled, Jinora had taken this very well, “I am Korra though, I know that, I feel that, but Arrok is who everyone expects and wants.”

“I want you to be who you are, but I know that is easier said than done,” Jinora put her hand on Korra’s shoulder, “You said you needed advice?”

“Right. Well, like I said, I think I kind of like her but she thinks I'm a boy named Arrok while I'm really Korra. She also doesn't know that I'm the same girl that she met five years ago. I guess I just don't know if it's possible to make it work, she doesn't know I'm a girl, is she even ok with girls? I just don't know,” Korra rambled as she pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees.

“Can't you just tell her you're a girl?”

“I've known her for a day. I may have a crush, but I cannot tell someone I've only known for a day my biggest secret. I've just told you and you've known me for five years.”

“Fair point. How about you just keep being you then?”

Korra raised her head from her knees and looked at Jinora as if to say “really?”

“No, really, listen. Arrok is still you just with different pronouns so keep being you around her and you know drop subtle suggestions of girls liking girls and boys liking boys and gauge her responses. Then, if you find out she likes you too, and you guys get closer, you can tell her your secret. If she really likes you, then it shouldn't matter.”

“That's...not a bad idea,” Korra released her knees and attacked Jinora with a hug, “Thanks, Jinora.”

“No worries, I love to help!” They released their hug, “And now that you've got that off your mind how about we go back to meditating?”

Korra sighed, “Fine.”

Jinora smiled and resumed her meditating position with her legs crossed, fists together, and eyes shut.

“Arrok!”

Jinora's eyes shot open at the sound of Ikki’s shout and she groaned at the new interruption. Ikki ran up to the two in the pavilion holding a letter.

“You've got a letter from the Northern Water Tribe!”

Korra immediately jumped up, taking the letter, “Yes! A letter from home!”

Jinora stared at Korra from her spot on the ground causing Korra to smile sheepishly, “Can we please finish meditating later?”

This time it was Jinora’s turn to sigh, “Fine.”

“Thanks! I promise to really focus next time!” Korra shouted as she ran towards the dormitories.

* * *

As soon as she reached her room, Korra ripped open the letter from home.

_Our Dearest Arrok,_

_How is our favorite avatar doing? In your last letter you mentioned having mastered water, earth, and fire and starting to learn airbending. We are so proud of you! We are doing fine up in the North Pole. I’m sorry we cannot make it to Republic City to visit this year. Your father has become very busy with chief responsibilities and we unfortunately cannot break away at this time. However, in our absence, this letter was sent to you by a special deliverer._

_Have fun, work hard, and let us know how your bending is coming along!_

_Much love,_

_Mom_

Korra looked over the short letter again. Before she left, her family had decided to address their letters to Arrok and not Korra just in case their letters got intercepted. In her last letter, she had mentioned how excited and ready she was to start airbending, how was she going to tell them that she just couldn’t do it? Korra pushed that thought away from her mind and instead focused on the second to last line in the letter instead. Special deliverer? What could they mean by-?

“Surprise!”

Korra spun to face a boy about the same age as her, if not maybe a couple years older, smiling at her from the doorway. He had the same skin tone and hair as she, but was at least a head taller. He wore so much blue and wore his hair in the same style as she did. He was definitely water tribe.  

“Tak?!”

* * *

Asami walked up to the building that the scrap of paper had led her to. It looked like it had been abandoned for years. She found the door and entered the building cautiously, but confidently. At the end of the room was a small stage and standing right in the middle of it was Amon.

“Asami,” Amon said by way of greeting, “Good, you got my message.”

“I always do, you might want to have a chat with the lieutenant, though. His pride and jealousy blinds him from common sense.”

“Noted. How was your day with the avatar?”

Asami approached the stage and crossed her arms, “It was fine, a good start. He’ll definitely want to meet me again. It won’t be hard to gain his trust. Also, you might be interested to know that he now has the freedom to explore the mainland whenever he wants, unguarded.”

“Good. Very good. Keep getting close to the avatar, draw him to the city as much as you can,” Amon held out a hand to Asami to help her onto the stage, “What do you think of the place?”

Asami accepted his hand and hoisted herself up onto the stage. She looked around and there wasn’t much to see. Aside from the stage there really wasn’t anything else noteworthy there.

“For?” she asked.

“The Revelation,” Amon held out his arms in a grand gesture to both sides.

“The Revelation?”

“Yes, the Revelation. Where we will show the people our power. Here is where I will take away their bending.”

Asami’s eyes grew wide, “You never said anything about taking away people’s bending.”

“If they don’t have bending then they can’t hurt anyone.”

Asami took a step back from Amon, “Taking away bending seems kind of harsh.”

“Too harsh for the people that kill and destroy?” Amon snapped.

Asami looked at the ground. He was right, all benders did was destroy. Her own mother had died at the hands of a firebender, but she couldn’t help but feel like it wasn’t right to take away a part of someone.

Amon changed to a calmer tone, “You want equality, don’t you? How could you ever expect to stand on equal ground with people who possess such power and use it against us? We need to take away the factor that creates such inequality and conflict. You understand, don’t you?”

Asami closed her eyes and the same mantra she had been telling herself for five years, since this all started, started echoing in her head. _They just want equality_ _and equality is good. Equality is fair. Abusing bending abilities is not fair. It’s not equal. They just want equality._

“I do.”

“Perfect. We are going to round up one of the gangs to use for our demonstration and we will need flyer-boy again to pass out revelation flyers and attract fellow equalists.”

“On it,” Asami started to walk to the edge of the stage to hop down when she felt Amon grab her wrist.

“Those are tasks for the others. You have a mission tonight.”

  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've actually been able to write bit while studying abroad. I have realized that this chapter had quite a bit of banter, I guess I just love banter lol. So here's an update from Spain! Enjoy! -Musical MB

**Chapter 7**

“I can’t believe you’re here!” Korra launched herself at her old Water Tribe friend. 

Tak smiled and hugged her back, “I thought it was high time you got a visit from your favorite person.”

Korra playfully shoved him away, “Who says you’re even in the top ten?”

“Ok, name your top ten, then” Tak crossed his arms and looked smugly at Korra.

Korra started to tick off the name on her fingers, “Mom, Dad, Naga-”

“Naga doesn’t count!” Tak interjected.

“Fine, but don’t let her hear you say that,” Korra continued, “Mom, Dad, Tenzin, Pema, Jinora, Ikki, Meelo…”

“That’s only seven,” Tak smirked.

“Ok, um, Asami.”

“Whoa, wait, who’s Asami?”

“Just a girl I met.”

“Just a girl you met? And she still ranks higher than me?!” Tak held his hand up to his chest in mock hurt.

“Yes, she does!”

“Well, that’s eight.”

Korra sighed, “Ugh, fine, I guess you’ve made it in the top ten.” 

“Of course I did! Now, back to this Asami person,” Tak waggled his eyebrows at Korra.

Korra pulled Tak fully into the room and shut the door, “Shhh! You’ll encourage the kids!”

“Encourage, eh?” Tak cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “Arrok likes Asa-!”

Korra tackled Tak to cut him off causing them both to land on the floor, Korra face down next to Tak who was on his back. Tak just burst out laughing. “Oh, man, you are so fun to tease.”

Korra propped herself up with her hands and gave Tak a half smile. Tak stood and then helped Korra up. As he helped her up, he noticed how much taller and bigger he was than her. “Still haven’t hit that growth spurt yet, huh?”

Korra crossed her arms over her chest and looked down, “Yeah, something like that.”

Tak tilted his head a little bit at Korra but didn’t prod about her comment. Instead, he smiled and said, “I have a surprise for you. Come on, we’re going to Republic City.”

* * *

Korra found herself in Republic City for the second time in one day, but this time she was standing with Tak in front of a huge, lit up arena.

“Ta da!” Tak threw his arms out, “We are going to see the pro-bending match tonight!”

Korra stood, staring at the arena in amazement. She had sometimes heard snippets of the matches on the radio on Air Temple Island but had never been allowed to see one herself. Tenzin wasn’t very keen on the idea of pro-bending so Korra never got the chance to check it out.

“I personally am rooting for the Fire Ferrets. They are basically the underdogs of this season,” Tak continued.

Korra smiled, “This is amazing! Thanks, Tak!”

Korra started to walk toward the main entrance when Tak grabbed her arm. Korra turned her head around to look back at him, “What?”

Tak smiled mischievously, “I said we were going to see the match tonight, not that I got tickets.”

“Tak!”

“Oh, come on, where’s your sense of adventure?” Tak grabbed Korra’s shoulders and led her to the side of the building, “Sneaking in through a window is much more fun anyway!”

“Ok, but, I don’t think it’s wise for me to be trespassing. It doesn’t seem right to break the rules when I’m the _avatar_ ,” Korra argued but allowed Tak to keep leading her forward.

“Ugh, come on, man. Stop being the avatar for a couple hours and just be Arrok, the spunky boy I knew from the Northern Water Tribe.”

_ Yeah, the boy you  _ think _ you know,  _ Korra thought bitterly. They had stopped moving and stood below a balcony on the side of the building. The building was situated on the shore which meant the two waterbenders had ample access to water. The right side of Tak’s mouth quirked up and he pulled from the nearby source of water, creating a water spout that he used to launch himself onto the balcony.

“Can’t keep up?” he called down to Korra.

“You wish!” Korra called back.

Her competitiveness beat out her worries and she bent her own water out of the ocean to follow Tak. She landed on the balcony next to Tak smiling.

“See? Way more fun.”

They walked further into the building and entered the nearest room which appeared to be a gym of some sorts. It was just their luck that someone happened to be using it right at this moment.

“Hey! You aren’t supposed to be in here! I could get you in trouble for trespassing!” the man in the gym yelled at them.

“Um, well you see-”

“We, um, we were just-”

As they both stumbled over their own words in search of an excuse, a young man entered the gym behind them.

“These guys are actually with me,” the new arrival said.

Korra and Tak both whipped around to see the young man. He appeared to be about their age with dark hair and he wore a grey outfit with green accents that matched his eyes. He approached the two and squeezed between them, throwing his arms around both of their shoulders.

“I was just showing my two buds around, I hope that isn’t a problem.”

The man glared at Tak and Korra, but brushed past them toward the exit as he grumbled, “Just don’t touch anything.”

All three teens watched him leave and as soon as he was out of sight the stranger released Tak and Korra.

“That was very cool of you,” Tak said as he held out a fist.

The stranger bumped Tak’s fist with his own, “Nah, it was nothing. That man’s a grouch. My name’s Bolin.”

“Tak.”

Korra held out her hand to Bolin, “Arrok.”

Bolin shook her hand, “So, you guys came to see the match tonight?”

“Yeah! Wait a minute, you’re Bolin as in from the Fire Ferrets!” Tak exclaimed.

“Yep, that’s me. Hey, how about I let you guys watch the match from our team balcony?”

“That would be awesome!” Korra responded excitedly.

“Right this way, then, my friends.”

* * *

Asami stood alone outside the lit up arena, the match had already started so everyone was already inside. Tonight, she was the mysterious right hand of Amon and not the Future Industries heiress. She stood next to her motorcycle that she used on missions for Amon and wore the tinted helmet that disguised her real identity. Her mission tonight was relatively simple. Scope out the arena and try out her newest version of the electrified gloves.

While everyone watched the match inside, Asami explored the outside of the arena taking note of all entrances, exits, balconies, anything that may be useful to know. Asami propped her motorcycle against the side of the building and looked up at the balcony. The next stage of her mission needed her to get into the arena, she needed to know the inside as much as the outside of the place. Asami wore a basic black outfit that was easy to move in but didn’t stand out. She also wore her new prototype of the electric glove on her left hand and a belt that held various tools she might find necessary, like the smoke bomb she pulled on the avatar earlier that day. This time, she pulled out a small grappling hook and swung it up onto the balcony. Once it caught and was secure, she pulled herself up to the balcony level. She pulled herself over the side and recollected her grappling hook, attaching it to her belt once again.

Asami glanced around her surroundings to make sure that no one was lingering in the halls outside the main match area. The match was in full swing at this point, as Asami had timed it perfectly, and no one was about. Directly across from where she entered was a gym, Asami peeked her head in but there was no one there and nothing really worth checking out so she went ahead down the hall. After walking for a bit she noticed a pattern, the balconies appeared in pairs followed by an expanse of wall and then two more balconies, all pairs were equidistant to each other. Asami continued her walk around the arena until she heard a familiar voice.

“Did you see that?!”

Asami stopped right outside the door from which she heard the voice.  _ No way, it can’t be. _

“That was totally a foul!”

_ It is. _

The door was slightly open, barely enough to be noticable, but if she got closer Asami could see inside. She peeked into the room, or rather viewing balcony as she discovered upon looking, and sure enough saw Arrok clenching the rail and peering below at the match. He wasn’t alone, however; another blue clad teenager stood right next to the avatar gazing down at the match as well. And they seemed close, both in proximity and familiarity.

_ Who the hell is that? _

Asami leaned a little too close to the door causing it to squeak open a little farther. The blue clad stranger turned around first and immediately saw her.

“Can we help you?”

The avatar turned to see who his friend was talking to. Asami could see recognition in the avatar’s eyes, then she could see the fire in the avatar’s eyes. So he hadn’t forgotten about this morning.

Asami darted down the hall as fast as she could, but she could hear footsteps running right after her. She turned into the first open door she saw and ended up in the gym that she had found when she first entered the arena. There were stacks of earthen discs cluttered around, two staircases that led to a second story track, a net that stretched from the second floor to the the first, and a trough full of water.  _ Of course the gym for the pro-bending arena would be stocked with bending amo,  _ Asami berated herself. She stood in the middle of the room and turned to face the door just as the avatar and his friend came upon the door.

Why was the avatar here with someone else? The avatar was supposed to be alone. Sure, Asami hadn’t had even known that the avatar was going to be here tonight, but he was still supposed to be _ alone _ .

The avatar and his friend stayed in the doorway watching Asami. Asami started to take a step backward when the avatar finally said, “I just want to talk.”

Asami stood frozen for a few moments, staring at the two in the doorway. She needed to get out. Asami made a split second decision and sprinted up the stairs to the track. As soon as Asami started to run, the avatar burst into action. Arrok threw one of the earthen discs into Asami’s path causing her to dodge, which consequently slowed her down. The avatar kept throwing the discs in Asami’s path up the stairs, continuously making her dodge and swerve to not get hit. Asami was so busy dodging the avatar’s attacks that she didn’t even notice the other teen come up behind her until he was one step below her. He had had a clear path and hadn’t had to dodge flying rocks, unlike Asami, making it easier for him to catch up with her.  _ Clever move, Avatar.  _ She was almost at the top where there were windows, which meant an escape. On the last step, just as she was about to feel sure of her escape, Asami felt a hand grab onto her ankle causing her to fall forward onto the second level. She flipped herself around so that she could face her assailant and saw that he towered over her.

“Arrok, I got him!”

Asami tried to crawl backwards to sneak away while the teen called to the avatar, but he noticed her movement.

“I don’t think so,” the teen said as he bent water from the trough on the first floor to freeze Asami’s feet to the stairs. 

_ Great, he’s a bender too.  _ Asami tried to pry her feet out of the ice, but it was futile. She was stuck and could do nothing as the avatar approached. Wait, maybe there was something she could do.

“Thanks, Tak,” the avatar said as he reached Asami and Tak. He then turned his attention to Asami, “Now, who are you?”

Asami didn’t respond, she couldn’t respond.

“Ok...what did you mean earlier today in the park? What do you have against benders? What do you have against me?”

Asami looked at Arrok incredulously even though he couldn’t see her expression because of her helmet. Did he seriously not know?

“We know why you’re really here, so you can stop pretending you care about balance,” Asami said icily without thinking.

The avatar looked genuinely confused, “I’m not pretending. And please, enlighten me as to what the real reason I am here for is because apparently you know more than I do,” the avatar crossed his arms.

“Oppression of nonbenders? Making sure we stay inferior to you? Keeping us in line so that you can stay on top? Sound familiar?” Asami didn’t know why she kept talking. She wasn’t supposed to say anything to begin with, but she couldn’t stop herself in the moment.

The avatar furrowed his brows and glanced at his friend, Tak, who looked as equally as confused as the avatar and stood within arm’s length of Asami. Either they were really good actors or they genuinely didn’t know what she was talking about.

“I’m done here.”

Asami thrust her gloved hand out and hit Tak with a burst of electricity. After the initial shock, Tak fell over, tumbling down the stairs. Arrok immediately ran after his friend and Asami took this opportunity to smash the ice around her feet with her grappling hook. The avatar was kneeling by his unconscious friend at the bottom of the steps when Asami finally broke free from the ice.

At the sound of the ice smashing, the avatar looked up at Asami, who was already standing once again at the top of the stairs. They both were still, simply staring at each other. 

“How does it feel to not have the upper hand for once” Asami held up her gloved hand. She then broke away from the avatar’s stare and escaped out the nearest window.

* * *

Korra watched the equalist leave through the window and a few moments later heard the distinctive sound of a motorcycle speeding off. Korra returned her attention back to her unconscious friend.

“Tak? Tak!”

There was no answer. Korra melted the remaining ice from the top of the stairs and bent it around her hand. She put her hand to Tak’s chest and the water started to glow blue. After a few seconds Tak bolted up into a sitting position with a yell.

“Sh, hey, Tak, it’s ok, it’s ok, you’re fine,” Korra tried to soothe him.

Tak looked around the gym then back at Korra, “What happened to helmet-guy?”

Korra turned her head away from Tak and looked toward the window that the mystery man had jumped out of, “He got away,” she looked at Tak again with concern, “He had some sort of electric glove and he...he attacked you with it. I was so scared when he struck you that I-- I went after you and he got away,” Korra started tripping over her own words.

“Hey, it’s alright, I’m glad that you went after me, Arrok,” Tak grinned gently.

Korra smiled back, “What are friends for.”

Tak suddenly stood up, “Speaking of friends, we have a new one we are supposed to be watching kick butt! What are we still doing here? There’s a pro-bending match going on!”

Korra laughed, “You sure do have your priorities straight.”

“Damn right I do.”

* * *

By the time Korra and Tak returned to the Fire Ferret’s balcony the match was over, much to Tak’s disappointment. Bolin sat on the bench while his brother, Mako, rustled around in his locker.

Bolin stood as he saw the two enter, “There you guys are! Where have you guys been?” Bolin then noticed the scorch mark and bruises on Tak, “Oh spirits, what happened to you?”

“Ran into an old friend,” Korra responded.

“You must have some interesting friends,” Bolin raised his eyebrows.

“There’s a motorcycling equalist that Arrok keeps running into,” Tak explained, “We saw him come in and Arrok wanted to go after him but he pulled some sort of electric glove on me and got away.”

“Yikes, I’ve heard of these equalist guys, not the friendly type.”

“That’s for sure. I just want to know why this person has such a grudge against me, against benders. He’s too good at escaping, though,” Korra said.

“Maybe you just need some more help,” Bolin grinned.

Mako suddenly slammed his locker shut causing the others to jump and look at him.

“This has nothing to do with us, Bolin. Why are these two even in here?” Mako said.

“I’m sorry, you think this has nothing to do with you? You’re a bender, too. This has as much to do with you as every other bender,” Korra snapped.

Mako ignored her and looked at his brother, “You can’t keep bringing fans up in here.”

“I know, I know. I just saw them in the gym about to get chewed out by the old man and I felt like I had to do something. Besides, the way they snuck in here as a team? It reminded me of us in our old days.”

“Old days?” Tak asked.

“We weren’t always pro-benders. We used to live on the street, we kind of had a rough childhood,” Bolin shrugged.

Mako eyed Korra and Tak, “So you guys snuck in here, huh? How did you get in?”

“It was all my idea, of course. We simply used the water around the arena to give us a little boost to the balcony,” Tak boasted in his usual playful manner.

“So, you’re waterbenders?” Mako asked, seemingly more interested in the two now.

“Well, yes and no. I’m a waterbender,” Tak trailed off.

“Oh, so you bent the water for the both of you?” Bolin asked.

“No, I can bend my own water,” Korra said.

“Then why did he…?”

“You’re the avatar,” Mako cut off his brother.

“Bingo.”

“Oh my god, the avatar!” Bolin yelled with excitement.

Tak slung his arm around Korra’s shoulders, “Yes, that’s right, my bud here is the certified avatar.” 

Korra shot him a look, “Certified?”

“Just go with it, it sounded fancier that way.”

Korra rolled her eyes at her friend, but still smiled. Bolin wrapped his arm around Mako’s shoulders and dragged him over to Korra and Tak creating the most awkward group hug, “Oh we are gonna be such good friends!”


	8. Chapter 8

Asami pulled into the private garage a block away from the Sato mansion. She obviously couldn’t just pull right up into the Asami estate without causing suspicion, so they had discovered a tiny garage for her motorcycle a safe distance away from the mansion. Shed was probably a better word to describe where her bike resided when not in use, but all the better, for a shed is less likely to stand out than a full blown garage.

After safely stashing her bike away, Asami removed her helmet and untied her hair from its loose bun letting it cascade down her back. She then replaced her black clothing with her usual red and black ensemble. She stored her black clothing away in a cabinet and exited through the back of the bike shed. The bike shed resided on a side road and, aside from the front that faced the road, was surrounded by trees. Asami walked through the trees to hit the main road instead of walking directly from the side road onto the main. From the main road she took a direct path back home.

Asami wasn’t surprised to see her father as soon as she walked in the door. He was always waiting for her there whenever she had a mission. He wasn’t too fond of the idea of having his daughter directly in action, but he also knew how much of an asset she was to the movement. So he didn’t argue when she had a mission, but he always eagerly awaited her return to make sure she was safe.

Hiroshi went in directly for a hug upon seeing his daughter enter, “You made it back.”

Asami smiled, “I always do.”

They released their hug and as Hiroshi stepped back he glanced over his daughter to make sure she hadn’t sustained any injuries. As Asami saw her father subtly, or at least what he thought was subtle, check her for harm, she was grateful that she decided to change into pants instead of a skirt today. Her pants, thankfully, covered up the bruises on her legs that she had received when she was tripped on the stairs. A skirt would not have hidden her bruises causing her father to become more overly protective.

“Well I’m going to go to bed. I’ve kind of had a long day,” Asami said as she started to walk up the stairs to her room.

“Alright, goodnight. I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

As soon as Asami reached her room she flopped onto her bed. Her thoughts raced with all the events that had happened in just one day. One person in particular stood out in her mind. She couldn’t even escape from the avatar in her own mind. How could she run into one person so many times in one day? How could she still be thinking about him?

Asami flipped onto her stomach, burying her face in her pillow. She didn’t know what to think of the avatar. She grew up being told that he was the enemy, he was the epitome of the power imbalance between benders and non-benders, and yet a small part of her still insisted that he couldn’t be all that bad. Or maybe she just really didn’t want to be his enemy.

* * *

 

The next couple of days Asami went through her normal schedule as the heiress to Future Industries. She hadn’t received any news or missions from Amon since she had scouted the arena which was a little strange. She was expecting him to want her information as soon as possible, yet he hadn’t shown up. Of course, Asami had told her father the essential information (omitting her run-in with the avatar and his friend). She simply told him the layout of the arena and that her gloves passed their trial run. Hiroshi was very happy to hear that his daughter’s design was a success and then he had said that he would contact Amon so that she could report to him. And so the wait began.

The third day after the arena incident, Asami decided to take a walk around the city. She was starting to get antsy waiting around. She was walking down the street when the door to the store where she normally got all her materials for inventing (both for Future Industries and the Equalists) swung open and smacked her in the head. She stumbled backward a few steps with a hand to her forehead.

“I am so sorry, Miss! I didn’t realize you were there,” Asami heard a voice call out that was becoming more and more familiar.

Asami lowered her hand and raised her head to see Arrok and Tak outside the now closed door to the store.

“Oh my god, Asami!” the avatar smiled, “I was hoping we would run into each other again, well, not like this, though.”

Asami smiled back but then winced placing her hand back on her forehead, “Ow, you really got me there.”

“I’m so sorry!” Arrok placed his left hand on Asami’s shoulder. Asami could see the concern in his eyes

Tak finally spoke up behind the avatar, “You know, instead of being sorry you could probably heal it.”

“Oh! Right!” Arrok looked about him wildly until Tak calmly handed him his own waterskin to use with a smirk.

Arrok took the waterskin and turned his full attention to Asami. Asami watched him bend the water around his hand. She allowed him to gently pull her hand away from her head, replacing it with his own covered in glowing water. She couldn’t help but look at his face as he concentrated on her head. His blue eyes were so enchanting, she couldn’t look away. When he finished, Arrok lowered his gaze to her eyes and Asami immediately looked away from his, as if she hadn’t just been staring shamelessly at them. When she looked back she could see an amused smile on Arrok’s face.

“So...am I going to be introduced or?” Tak interrupted their moment.

Both of them looked away from each other and stepped backward. They couldn’t hide their blushes from Tak, though.

“Right, um, this is my old friend from the North Pole, Tak. Tak, this is Asami. Tak is visiting for the week”

Tak held his hand out to Asami, “Hi! Nice to meet you.”

Asami took it and smiled, “It’s nice to meet you too.”

So the mystery water tribe teen from the arena was an old friend of Arrok’s. Asami could’ve guessed that by the way they worked so well together, but it was nice to officially meet him and find out his name.

“Well, anyway, we were actually about to go meet some friends in the park if you wanted to join,” Arrok offered.

Asami thought for a second before answering. She didn’t have anything to do except wait, surely going with the avatar couldn’t hurt.

“Sounds great.”

The three walked to the park, chatting along the way. They claimed a spot near the park’s pond and sat in the grass. They talked about casual things as they waited for the other friends to show up such as their favorite food, hobbies, and eventually, family.

“You must miss your family, always being away from them,” Asami said.

A bittersweet smile crept on the avatar’s face, “Yeah, we do get to write, though, and sometimes they visit. They just couldn’t this year.”

“Which is why they sent the next best thing: me!” Tak slung his arm around Arrok’s shoulders and smiled broadly.

Arrok gave a small smile, “Yeah,” he then gently removed Tak’s arm and stood up, “I wonder where Bolin and Mako are. I’m going to look around the park and make sure they aren’t in the wrong spot.”

“Ok, I guess we’ll just wait here,” Tak said.

Tak and Asami watched the avatar walk away., “That was not very subtle,” Asami mused out loud.

“Yeah, subtlety is not his specialty. You know, speaking of family, I'm surprised we haven't seen Korra yet, I wonder what she's up to.”

“Korra?” was all Asami could get out as her mind whirled. This was the second time this week that the girl had come up unexpectedly in conversation. Asami had been under the impression that Korra was in the North Pole, so why would they see her? And why would Tak be asking about her if they lived in the same place? Unless, of course, Korra really wasn’t in the North Pole. The girl had told her that she wasn’t staying with the avatar, but was instead returning to the North Pole, yet both Tak and Arrok had made it sound like Korra was in this city. Asami had never seen Korra again, however, after their run-in five years ago, so there was no way she could be in Republic City. The city was big, but it wasn’t that big. Things definitely did not add up involving the water tribe girl, Korra.

“Arrok’s cousin,” Arrok answered casually, “Supposedly they are very close, but I don’t think that I've actually ever seen them together.”

“Yeah, I remember Arrok mentioning her, now,” Asami laughed softly “Actually, I ran into her once, about five years ago. The same exact way we just did at the shop. She seemed nice, but she told me that she was going back to the North Pole.”

Tak’s face scrunched up in confusion, “But Korra never-”

“I found them!”

Tak was interrupted by Arrok’s return with two guys in tow. Asami smiled warmly at the two newcomers trying to cover up her disappointment; she couldn’t help but feel like whatever Tak was going to say was important to the mystery of Arrok’s cousin and she didn’t like missing it.

“Hey, Bolin! Mako!” Tak rose to meet them, then turned toward Asami who also stood, “This is Asami, another _friend_ of Arrok. Asami, this is Bolin and Mako.”

Arrok elbowed Tak at the way he said friend as Asami waved in greeting at the two newcomers, “It’s nice to meet you guys.”

“Nice to meet you, too!” Bolin replied.

“Oh wait a minute, you guys are the Fire Ferrets!”

“Yep, that’s us!”

“Wow, do you think maybe you could show me some pro-bending moves?” Asami asked.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Of course!”

Mako and Bolin said at the same time. Mako glared at his brother, “Bolin.”

“Hey, you always say we need to train and practice more,” Bolin cut him off, “Think of this as extra practice.”

Mako tried to come up with a retort when Tak excitedly asked, “Why don’t we have a mock pro-bending match right now?”

Mako frowned, “You need six people, three per team.”

“No, you only need three elements on each team,” Tak grinned mischievously.

Bolin brightened up, catching onto Tak’s implication, “Oh yeah!”

* * *

 

“Ok, tell me how this is fair!” Korra yelled.

The teens had found a clear spot near the pond and had set up a makeshift pro-bending field by drawing lines in the dirt to mark off the three sections on each team’s side. Korra stood alone on her side of the field opposing Tak, Mako, and Bolin. Asami, not being a bender, stood on the sidelines.

“Easy, each team needs all three elements. Mako, Bolin, and I together make up all three elements and therefore a team. You have all three elements and therefore make up your own team,” Tak smiled at her.

“Yes, but normally each team consists of _teammates_ ,” Korra shot back.

Tak waved a hand at her dismissively, “Eh, details.”

“Come on, it’ll be fun!” Bolin added.

“What about Asami? It’s not fair to leave her out.”

“Don’t worry about me. I can be the ref!”

“Yeah, she can be the ref!” Tak repeated smugly at Korra.

Korra sighed, “Fine, but you guys are going down.”

And so the match began. Korra launched the first attack, pulling water from the pond to hit the boys, but it was quickly evaporated by Tak. She next tried to blast some fire at him but Mako quickly blocked it and countered causing Korra to go on the defense. Bolin and Tak worked together to turn her side of the field to slick mud which made her slip onto her hands and knees.

“Come on, Mister Avatar, you’re getting slaughtered out there!” Asami teased from the safety of the sidelines.

Korra shot a look at Asami and then was struck by a brilliant idea. She stood back up with a devilish grin and ran toward Asami. Asami let out a squeal as she was lifted by the avatar and carried onto the playing field. She honestly was surprised at how easily the avatar could lift her. Sure, she was pretty lean but she also had some muscle due to her night missions for Amon which means she wasn’t as light as she may look.

“No! Foul, foul!” Asami shouted while laughing.

The barrage of elemental attacks from the boys’ side ceased as Asami was carried onto the playing field.

“Arrok, that’s cheating!” Mako yelled.

“It’s not cheating, it’s creatively winning!” Korra shot back, smiling wickedly.

Still holding Asami, Korra stomped the ground with her right foot causing the three boys to sink into the earth underneath their feet. She then pushed them using her earthbending back past their designated third section.

“And the avatar wins!” Korra shifted her hold on Asami to lift her by the waist, earning her Asami’s sweet laughter as she spun her around.

The ground rumbled beneath their feet as Bolin bent the earth in order to free himself, Mako, and Tak. Korra lost her balance and fell back into the mud with Asami underneath her. Asami had landed on her back while Korra caught herself with her hands on either side of Asami’s head. They both blinked at each other for a moment, covered in mud, until they burst out laughing.

“You’re covered in mud,” Korra managed to say between laughs.

Asami reached up and used her thumb to wipe away mud that had splashed onto the avatar’s cheek, “So are you.”

Her thumb lingered on the avatar’s cheek longer than she intended. Asami couldn’t bring herself to pull her hand away or to break their eye contact. The avatar started to lean in closer, but abruptly stopped when Tak shouted.

“Hey, cheater! You only won because you took the ref hostage!”

The boys walked up to the two still lying in the mud. Korra quickly stood up, her face turning red, and helped Asami to her feet.

“Yeah, we can’t attack someone who can’t bend,” Bolin added.

“You guys started it by making me face you alone. I needed a teammate so I took one,” Korra smiled at Asami.

“You guys looked good out there, though,” Asami said, “I’m sure you guys will do great in the arena.”

Mako frowned, “If we can even compete.”

“What do you mean?”

“We don’t have enough money to enter.”

Korra and Tak both gave sympathetic responses while Asami was suddenly struck with a brilliant idea.

“What if Future Industries sponsored your team?”

Mako and Bolin stared at her in disbelief. “Really?”

“Yeah! I can talk to my father about it, I’m sure he’ll agree.”

The brothers smiled at each other and then at Asami. “That would be awesome, Asami!” Bolin said.

“Yeah, thanks.”

It was starting to grow dark outside and many people were starting to leave the park.

“Well, it was very nice to meet you two and thanks for letting me tag along. I think it’s time for me to go home and clean off,” Asami gestured to the mud still covering her.

“We should probably head back, too,” Mako said.

The teens all said their goodbyes, promising to meet up again soon, and then split ways. Korra and Tak watched everyone else walk away from the park before leaving themselves.

“I guess we should head back to the island. I want to get this gunk off of me.”

Korra started to head toward the pier, but quickly realized that Tak wasn’t following. She turned around and saw Tak still standing near the river where they had their match.

“Hey, what’s the hold up?” Korra asked.

Tak stared out at the water for a long moment until he finally asked, “What’s going on?”

Korra’s eyebrows furrowed, “Well, that’s very vague.”

Tak spun to face Korra looking very serious, “Korra.”

Korra froze and her heart started to race. How could he possibly know it was her? No, he couldn’t know. There’s no way he could know.

Thankfully, Tak continued without a response, “Earlier when I was talking to Asami, she said that Korra returned to the North Pole _five years ago,_ but I know for a fact that she did not."

Korra immediately felt relief. He didn’t know.  

Tak pressed further, “Arrok, please, tell me what’s going on or if you know anything. I’m worried.”

Something inside Korra snapped. _He’s worried?!_ He never mentioned Korra before today, he never seemed to care if she was even alive. How dare he act worried now. Korra could almost feel the anger rising in her, “Since when have you cared about Korra?”

“What? You don’t think I care that she is apparently missing? She isn’t here and she isn’t in the North Pole, Arrok. Of course, I care!” Tak yelled back and held both his arms out to his sides with his palms up.

Korra shook her head, “I can’t believe you.”

She turned to walk away from Tak, but he grabbed her arm, “Is she in trouble?”

Korra didn’t turn to look at him, “Let me go.”

“I just want to know that she’s okay.”

Korra whirled around ripping her arm out of his grip, “Why? You never seemed to care if I was fine before! I might as well have been dead these past five years!”

She was practically seething. What right did Tak have to suddenly care what happened to her? Korra had been replaced by Arrok for years and he never batted an eye. He wasn’t allowed to suddenly care now. He wasn’t allowed to forget her existence and then demand answers from her claiming to be worried. He just wasn’t allowed.

Tak stared at Korra, “We weren’t talking about you, we were talking about Ko-” Tak stopped halfway through her name and his eyes widened, “Korra?”

The color instantly drained from Korra’s face. Her anger was replaced with horror as she realized her slip. For five years she had lived in Republic City without a single slip up. For five years she kept her true identity secret. She could not believe that after five years she finally broke.

“Oh my god, Korra,” Tak’s eyes softened and he lowered his arms.

Korra stood in disbelief, not able to form any response. So she ran.

* * *

 

Asami walked back to the mansion as the evening sky started to dim with the setting sun. She wanted to get home for nightfall in case Amon finally came for her report. As she walked, she couldn't stop thinking about what Tak was going to say. The more Korra came up in conversation, the more suspicious Asami became of the whole situation.

“Asami!”

Asami turned around to see Arrok running after her.

“I thought we split for the night?”

Arrok stopped beside her and smiled. Asami could tell that it was a forced smile, though.

“Yeah, well, I, um… I wanted to make sure you got home okay, yeah that’s it,” the avatar responded.

He wasn’t a very good liar. Asami tilted her head, “Arrok, is something wrong?”

The avatar frowned, “No…”

Asami raised her eyebrows.

“Maybe,” the avatar sighed.

Asami’s eyes softened and she took Arrok’s arm, linking it with her own. “How about we go to my place, hm?”

Arrok smiled, “That sounds nice.”

The two walked arm in arm to the Sato mansion. They didn’t talk and simply enjoyed each others’ company in the growing night. When they reached the mansion, Asami led the avatar upstairs and to the guest bathroom.

“I figured you might want to wash off. These will probably be too big, but it’s the best I have and you probably don’t want to get back into your muddy clothes,” Asami handed Arrok a towel and a pair of her father’s pajamas, “I’m going to wash up, too. When you’re done, you can join me in my room. It’s down the hall and to the left.”

Asami left the avatar and went to her own private bathroom to wash up. It felt so good to finally wash the drying mud off of her body and out of her hair. She couldn’t help but smile as she ran her fingers through her hair and thought of the match. The way the avatar had lifted her after winning made her feel so warm and happy. Asami knew that if she could see her own face right now she would see herself smiling uncontrollably at the memory.

Asami stepped out of her bathroom and was greeted by a newly clean avatar sitting on her bed. He was wearing the pajamas she had given him and she couldn’t deny that the oversized pjs made him look very cute. Asami shut and locked her door, then joined him on the bed.

“So, do you want to talk about it?”

The avatar frowned and looked down at his hands in his lap, “I don’t know.”

“Well,” Asami reached for Arrok’s hand and squeezed it, “I’m right here if you need me.”

Arrok looked at their now entwined fingers and sighed, “You know how some people pretend to be someone they’re not?”

Asami’s heart started to beat faster, but she fought to keep a level face, “I suppose. What exactly do you mean?”

The avatar took his hand away from Asami and turned to face away from her, “I can’t say.”

Asami placed her hands on the edge of her bed and looked down at the ground, “Okay.”

“Okay?” the avatar turned his head a little toward her.

“Okay. I’m not going to force you to say anything you don’t want to,” Asami pulled her legs up onto the bed, crossed them pretzel style, and grabbed Arrok’s arm, “Look, I want to get to know you but I won’t pressure you to talk about things you aren’t ready to talk about.” _Wow, the avatar sure has some muscle._

Arrok fully turned to face Asami, which made Asami release his arm, and also pulled his legs up into the bed pretzel style, “Thanks, I want to get to know you too.”

Asami smiled, “Alright, then let’s start with the basics, do you have any siblings?”

“No, I’m an only child.”

“What a coincidence, me too! Okay, pets?”

Arrok’s eyes lit up, “Yeah, I have a polar-bear dog named Naga! She’s the best and I’m sure she would love you! But she’s at the North Pole right now.”

“Like Korra.”

“Like Ko- what?”

“I’m sorry, Tak mentioned her earlier. He said you guys were close.”

“Yeah, I guess we were.”

Arrok looked down once again with a melancholy expression.

“I met her once you know,” Asami edged closer to Arrok and smiled, “I actually ran into her kind of like how you ran into me today. She seemed nice, I would actually like to see her again, see how she’s doing.”

“Really?” Arrok looked up with new hope in his eyes. _His cousin must mean a lot to him._

“Yeah! Too bad she’s in the North Pole.”

“You don’t know that.”

Asami looked at Arrok, stunned, “She told me she was going back to the North Pole five years ago.”

“Yeah, five years ago. People move around. I, um, actually just got a message the other day saying that she was nearby in the Earth Kingdom. I could probably send her a message asking her to visit.”

Asami smiled, “That would be awesome! I would love to see your cousin again! If she even remembers me.”

“Oh, I’m sure she does. You’re kind of unforgettable.”

As soon as the avatar realized what he said his eyes widened and his face turned red. He looked so cute when he blushed. Asami couldn’t help but smile, and not just a polite one, but a wide, bright smile that reached her eyes.

“I think you’re pretty unforgettable, too, Mister Avatar.”

Asami reached up and tucked a piece of damp hair behind Arrok’s ear. Her hand lingered close to his face and she realized that she didn’t want to pull away. Asami brought her eyes up to meet Arrok’s and found that they were a lot closer than she thought. They both started to lean in even closer-

_Bam! Bam!_

Asami’s eyes shot open at the sound of knocking on her door. _Seriously? Interrupted twice in one day?_

“Asami?”

_Oh no._ Asami knew that voice. She had completely forgotten about him. _Why now of all times?_ Asami leapt off the bed, tugging Arrok up with her.

“You have to go.”

The avatar looked bewildered, “What? Why?”

The door rattled and the voice from the other side came again, “Why is the door locked?”

Asami shouted back, “I’m changing, give me a minute!” then quietly back to Arrok, “Please, at least hide.”

She shoved him into her bathroom and shut the door, “Lock the door and don’t come out until I say so,” she said through the door. She heard a sigh from her bathroom and a quiet “fine” followed by the click of the bathroom lock.

Asami went to the door of her bedroom and finally opened it. Amon stood in the hall with his arms crossed.

“I assume you’re here for my report. Let’s go to my father’s office to talk.”

“Fine,” Amon turned down the hall toward Hiroshi’s office. Asami stole one more glance back at her bathroom door and then followed.

* * *

 

Korra sat on the bathroom counter bored out of her mind. What was that all about? Why did Asami want her to hide so badly. It was almost as if she were afraid.

Korra heard Asami and whoever was at the door walk away. She waited a few minutes in the bathroom before her curiosity won out. Korra carefully unlocked the door and cracked it open to peek out. Seeing no one in Asami’s room, Korra snuck out of the room and into the hallway. She heard voices from down the hall and followed them to a set of doors that were barely open just a crack. Korra peered into what appeared to be an office and inside she found Asami and Mystery Door-Knocker sitting in office chairs. She couldn’t see who the stranger was, he wore a hood and a mask that covered his face. _Who is Asami talking to?_

“I didn’t tell my father about the avatar being there at the arena,” Korra heard Asami say.

_Asami is talking about me?_

A low chuckle came from the masked man, “Didn’t think he would like that, huh?”

“No, all he needed to know was that it worked.”

_Know that what worked?_

“True. Well if that’s your whole report then I guess I should get going.”

Asami and the masked man both stood. Korra stepped away from the door and took off down the hallway back to Asami’s room as quick as she could without being seen or heard. She threw herself back into the bathroom and locked the door. Only a minute after she heard footsteps and a soft knock at the door.

“Arrok? You can come out now.”

Korra stepped out of the bathroom and was quickly hugged by Asami.

“Thank you for staying in there. Sorry about that, it was my self defense teacher, he needed his paycheck and I forgot I told him I would give it to him tonight. I was afraid that he would tell my dad I had a boy up here if he saw you,” Asami said.

Korra knew she was lying, that man was definitely not a teacher and they definitely were not discussing a paycheck.

“It’s fine. I, um, I should probably go.”

“No, it’s late. We have a guest room you can stay in, I insist.”

Korra looked out the window into the dark night and then back at Asami, “I guess it is late. Alright.”

Asami smiled, “Okay, right this way.”

Asami walked out of the room. Korra lingered behind a second, staring at Asami’s back. _What is she hiding?_


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, sorry it's been so long! I've been crazy busy since classes started back up. Feel free to share thoughts!  
> Enjoy!

Korra woke up the next morning in a strange room and bed. The room was definitely more lavish than the dormitories in Air Temple Island. She had a full sized bed, a huge window, plush carpet, a wardrobe, and the guest bathroom next door.

I could get used to this, Korra thought as she climbed out of bed and her bare feet hit the warm, soft floor. She crept outside her door to find her clothes from the day before clean and folded in a box in the hallway. Korra took her newly washed clothes and quickly changed into them. She wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do with her borrowed pajamas, so she walked down the hall to Asami’s room to ask. The door to Asami’s room was already open so Korra took a peek inside, but Asami wasn’t there.

“I guess it’s time to explore, then,” Korra said to herself.

She left the empty room and briefly glanced up and down the hallway. She determined that the upstairs wasn’t worth looking around for Asami since it mostly seemed to be bedrooms and offices. Korra wandered downstairs.

After popping her head into a few empty rooms, Korra finally came upon the room that Asami was occupying. She actually heard her before seeing her. Korra heard repeated thuds and grunts as if something here being hit. It was coming from a room near the main door. Korra walked in to find Asami practicing self-defense with her teacher. She leaned against the door frame to watch the practice.

Asami wore her hair in a ponytail, which was a new style Korra hadn’t seen on Asami yet, and wore tight black pants with a red tank top. Korra couldn’t help but stare at her as she nailed her kicks and punches. Asami was mesmerizing to watch with her precise movements.

Asami suddenly stopped and turned to Korra with a smirk, “Why don’t you make yourself useful if you’re just going to stand there.”

Korra almost slipped off the doorframe in surprise. “I- uh, I was just...Your father’s pajamas?” Korra sputtered as she awkwardly held out the folded pajamas.

Asami giggled, “Come on, let’s see what the avatar can do in hand to hand combat.”

Asami walked over to Korra, grabbed the pajamas, and placed them on a chair against the wall. She then grabbed Korra’s now empty hand and led her to the center of the room where she had been practicing with her teacher moments earlier, the teacher moved to the back wall of the room. Asami took a couple of steps away from Korra and held her hands up, ready to face off. Korra stood uncertain in front of Asami.

Asami lowered her hands and frowned, “Look, I’m not Daddy’s helpless little girl. You just saw me, I can fight.”

Korra shrugged and assumed a fighting stance, Asami following suit with a cheeky grin. Korra made the first move with a kick aiming for Asami’s side, Asami deftly caught Korra’s ankle and raised her eyebrow at the avatar.

“I thought we were going to take this seriously, Avatar,” Asami taunted.

Asami shoved Korra’s foot back in Korra’s direction causing her to lose balance and fall over. Korra blinked up at Asami from the floor before quickly standing back up.

“That was just a practice round,” Korra said, slightly blushing.

“Uh-huh.”

Korra tried to attack again, this time aiming for a punch. Asami easily blocked the punch and countered aiming for Korra’s face. Korra dodged just in time and soon enough the two girls were whirling around the room in a barrage of kicks and punches. They were pretty evenly matched until with one final sweep of her legs, Asami knocked Korra off her feet and she hit the floor.

Asami stood over the avatar with a half grin,“I think this means I won,” she held out her hand to Korra.

“Yeah, I’m sorry I ever considered taking it easy on you,” Korra laughed as she took Asami’s hand and stood up.

They heard someone clear their throat from the door to the room and they both turned to see Asami’s father, Hiroshi.

“I didn’t realize we had a guest,” he said.

Asami responded, “Arrok just walked me home last night and I didn’t want to make him go back to the island late at night, so I invited him to stay.”

“I see.”

Korra looked from Hiroshi to Asami suddenly feeling awkward. “Well, thank you for letting me stay. I should probably go back to Air Temple Island before Tenzin sends the police after me again.”

“No problem, it’s always great spending time with you.”

Hiroshi watched Korra leave the practice room and then the mansion. After Korra was through the front door, Asami walked over to her father.

“I have a proposal for you that will help keep suspicion off of Future Industries. It involves sponsoring a certain pro-bending team.”

* * *

 

As she walked closer to the air temple, Korra felt more dread fill her with every step. It had been years since she had seen Tak before he arrived less than a week ago and she had no idea what to expect from him now that he knew who she really was.

Korra made it to the dormitories without seeing anyone. She was starting to think she was safe until she opened the door to her room and found Tak sitting on her bed, looking out the window. As soon as he heard the door creak open Tak turned his head from the window and shot up from the bed when he realized who came in. Korra found herself swallowed up in a hug from Tak.

“Arrok, thank the spirits, I was worried.”

Korra stood stiffly in Tak’s arms, “Why?”

Tak pulled back from Korra, but still held her arms as he leant back, and looked her in the eyes, “Why?” he asked incredulously, “You disappear for a night and you wonder why I worry? Of course I-!” Tak fully released Korra and took a step back, “I don’t want to have this fight again.”

Korra crossed her arms, “Listen, I’m sorry I worried you.”

“Arrok.”

“Korra. You can call me Korra here,” Korra interrupted.

“Korra, why didn’t you tell me?”

Korra scoffed, “You know, I almost did. Back at the North Pole before boarding the ship, I was going to tell you, but then I couldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“I’m just glad someone like you is the avatar instead of someone like her.”

Tak stared at Korra, “What?”

“That’s what you told me before I left the North Pole. Remember?” Korra walked over to her bed and sat down with her arms crossed.

Tak watched Korra, not able to form a response. Now that she mentioned it he did remember, of course, at the time he had no idea he was talking about the same person. Tak walked over and sat next to Korra on the bed.

“I’m sorry. You’re my best friend and I’ve let you down.”

Korra shook her head, “No-”

“Yes, I have. I am so sorry I ever said something so stupid and it doesn’t matter if I didn’t know. Oh my god, the first time I met you I told you you couldn’t ever be a waterbender. Obviously I was very wrong and a complete jerk, but I really think I have grown as a person because I have known you,” Tak grabbed Korra’s hands, “You’re my best friend and nothing will ever change that, ok? I just hope that you still think of me as your best friend, too.”

Korra hugged her best friend, “Of course. I should’ve said something sooner.”

“No, I should’ve been a better friend to Korra.”

“Thank you,” Korra felt something wet hit her shoulder, “Tak, are you crying?”

“Yeah, are you?”

Korra suddenly realized that tears were slipping down her cheeks as well. She held her best friend tighter and responded, “Yeah.”

* * *

 

Korra and Tak spent the afternoon catching up. Mainly, Korra told Tak everything about her identity. Starting from the North Pole to now, Korra explained everything. When she finished, Tak began to tell her everything that was going on in the North Pole until it was time for dinner. Korra and Tak sat at the table with the airbending family and conversation started just as normal.

“So, Tak, when do you have to leave again?” Pema asked.

“Aw, are you trying to get rid of me?” Tak teased.

“Of course not! And you know that,” Pema smiled.

“Yeah, my boat heads out in two days.”

Pema handed Tak a plate, “We’ll be sad to see you go. It’s been great having you here.”

“It was great to meet all of you! Thank you so much for letting me stay here,” Tak took a bite of his food, “And for the delicious food! Even if there isn’t any meat.”

Korra elbowed Tak and accepted her own plate of food, “Thank you for putting up with this idiot.”

Tak just shrugged and dug into his food and soon everyone else was also eating their own plates of food and talking over dinner. After a bit of small talk, near the end of the meal, Pema turned to Tak and Korra.

“Next time you visit you’ll have to bring more of Arrok’s friends with you.”

“Tak is kind of my only friend from the North Pole.”

“Then your family should come! We still haven’t met your cousin.”

Korra almost choked on her food, “Um, hey, actually, I have something I think I need to tell all of you.”

Everyone at the table got quiet and looked at Korra.

“Are you sure?” Tak asked.

“Yes. Uh, well, you see...wow this is harder than I thought.”

“Is everything alright, Arrok?” Tenzin asked.  
  
“Um, yeah, I just, I’ve been kind of keeping something from all of you. Well, that is everyone except Jinora and Tak, I already told them.”

“You’re rambling,” Tak interjected.

“Right, sorry,” Korra took a deep breath, “I’m really Korra.”

Everyone stared at Korra in silence for a few moments.

“So that’s why you can’t airbend! Where’s Avatar Arrok, then?” Meelo asked.

“No, that’s not why- there is no Arrok. Well, I mean I guess there kind of is, but Arrok is me. I made him up.”

“Wait, so there’s no avatar?!” Ikki asked.

“No, I am the avatar.”

“Then who is your real cousin?”

“No one, ugh. I don’t really have a cousin. I made up Arrok as my cousin and then pretended to be Arrok but I’m really Korra the cousin I’ve told you guys about as Arrok.”

“Please tell me I’m not the only one confused right now,” Pema said.

Jinora stood up, “Korra is just trying to say that she is really Korra and that Arrok was someone she made up and pretended to be. Korra’s real, Arrok is not. Korra is still the avatar. And there are no cousins at all. Any questions?”

“Arro- or Korra, why did you pretend to be someone else?” Tenzin asked.

“I thought it would be easier this way. I thought people would rather follow a new avatar who was a boy rather than a girl, especially in the Northern Water Tribe.”

“That’s not true.”

“You don’t know that, Dad,” Tenzin looked at his eldest daughter, “Whether or not you believe it or see it yourself, sexism still exists and Korra’s feelings are valid. You don’t know if it’s true or not because you can’t experience what Korra is going through.”

“I guess you’re right, I’m sorry.”

Silence enveloped the room once again until Pema broke it, “So do you want to go public?”

“No! I don’t want to upset everyone. I just thought you guys should know since you are basically family.”

“Of course, Sweetie. Thank you for trusting us.”

Pema stood up and wrapped Korra into a hug. Korra was surprised at first but gave in to the hug, enjoying Pema’s warmth. Jinora and Tak joined in the hug next, followed by Ikki, and soon everyone, including Tenzin and Meelo, was in a huge group hug.

“If you ever change your mind or decide you are ready to show everyone the real you, we’ll be right here to support you,” Pema said.

“Thank you.”

* * *

 

Two days later, Tak said goodbye to the airbender family and went with Korra to Republic City to board his boat back to the North Pole. They were greeted by Mako, Bolin, and Asami when they arrived at the port.

“Did you guys all come to say goodbye?” Tak asked smiling.

“Of course! We loved hanging out with you!” Bolin said.

“We’ll have to have a rematch against Arrok next time you visit,” Mako said as he clasped hands with Tak.

“Of course.”

Next, Asami walked up to Tak and held out her hand, “It was nice meeting you.”

Tak shook it, “It was nice meeting you, too.”

The horn on the boat went off warning everyone that it was about to set off in a few minutes.

“We’ll let you two say goodbye,” Asami said and led the two other boys away from the boat.

Korra and Tak now stood alone at the bottom of the ramp.

“Hey, Korra?”

“Yeah?”

“I just wanted to say sorry for teasing you earlier about having a crush on Asami. Now that I know you’re a girl-”

“Stop,” Korra cut off Tak, “Just because you know I’m a girl now, doesn’t mean my feelings have changed for Asami. I’m bi, Tak.”

“Oh, cool. Cool, cool, cool.”

“Stop being a dork,” Korra lightly punched his arm, “Actually, I was planning on meeting Asami after you leave.”

Tak looked confused, “But, Asami’s already here.”

“No, Tak. I as in Korra was planning to meet with Asami.”

“Ohhhh. Wait, does she know, too?”

“No, that’s the thing. She doesn’t know and I’m afraid that if I tell her she won’t like me anymore so I was thinking if I met up with her as Korra I could see where she sits.”

“You decide to tell me this right as I’m about to leave?!”

“Yep! So now you can’t talk me out of it.”

Tak laughed, “Fair. Good luck. She’s going to love you.”

Korra smiled and hugged Tak, “I’m going to miss you, Tak.”

“Back at you.”

They released their hug and Tak walked up the ramp to the boat. Asami, Bolin, and Mako joined Korra again and they all waved as the boat pulled out of the harbor. When they could no longer see Tak, the remaining teenagers started to split off and go their own ways. Mako and Bolin went in one direction, while Asami went the other. Korra followed Asami and touched her arm.

“Hey, Asami!”

Asami turned around, “Hey!”

“So, um, I tracked down my cousin, Korra. She said she can meet you in the park tonight! Unfortunately, I have some training tonight so I can’t come, but I know she is excited to meet you!”

Asami smiled, “That’s great! I can’t wait to finally meet her!”

Korra smiled awkwardly back, “She’ll be here round 7. I have to go back to the island now. I’ll see you around!”

Korra took off back toward the harbor as Asami shouted back, “Ok!”

* * *

 

As soon as Korra arrived back on the island she went in search of Jinora, Pema, and Ikki. She figured she would need help making herself look like another person. Luckily, it didn’t take her long to round up all the girls and soon they all sat in Korra’s room planning what she should do.

“You’ll want to change your hair and clothes obviously so that you don’t look exactly like Arrok,” Jinora said.

“Ooh! I call doing your hair!” Ikki squealed as she ran behind Korra and started playing with her hair.

“Is there a popular hairstyle in the North Pole for girls?” Jinora asked.

“No, but a lot of the guys I noticed wore their hair in a half ponytail like I’ve been wearing mine.”

“Alright, so do anything but that, then,” Jinora told Ikki.

Ikki pulled Korra’s half ponytail out and started using her fingers to detangle her hair.

“While Ikki deals with your hair, I’ll put together something different for you to wear,” Jinora said.

“If I may give some input,” Pema spoke up, “the biggest thing that will help would probably be unbinding.”

Korra looked down at her chest which was still bound flat from earlier that day. “Good point.”

After Korra unbound her chest, all the girls started buzzing around her to help her transform into Arrok’s cousin. When they finished they all stood back and looked at Korra. Pema grabbed a hand mirror and handed it to Korra. Ikki had pulled her hair up into a high ponytail. Jinora had put her in a blue tank top that was similar to the one she normally wore but with a different cut with two dark blue sleeves that only slid over her forearms. She wore the dark blue pants that she normally wore but Jinora added a brown, fur lined half skirt thing that she tied on with a blue sash in the front.

Korra looked at herself for a few moments in the mirror, she felt like she was still missing something. Korra walked to her drawers and pulled out an arm band and two more of the same hair ties that Ikki had put in her hair. She pulled out a chunk of hair from each side and slipped them in the two hair holders and then slipped the blue and white arm band on her right upper arm. She looked in the mirror and saw herself. For the first time in a long time she saw Korra.

* * *

 

Asami put some finishing touches on her makeup before getting ready to meet Arrok’s cousin. She was determined to figure out the mystery behind Korra and how she fit into all of this. Asami applied her lipstick and got up to leave when she saw Amon standing in her doorway and froze.

“I didn’t hear you come in.”

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with the avatar lately,” Amon ignored her statement.

Asami breezed past Amon, “That’s none of your business. Besides, I’m just doing my job.”

Amon grabbed her arm making her stop, “It is my business. Just make sure that that’s all he is to you, a job.”

Asami didn’t answer. She wrenched her arm out of Amon’s grip and started to walk down the stairs.

“The lieutenant seems to think that you might be slipping,” Amon called after her.

Asami stopped in the center of the stairs, her heart beating slightly faster. She slowly turned around to face Amon who stood at the top of the stairs.

“He has no idea what I’m doing.”

“And what are you doing?”

Asami scoffed, “Ok, well, first of all I’m getting close to the avatar as you wanted so that I can I get information from him, which I have done. I’m actually about to meet his cousin who I’ll convince to give me more info and also who might be someone we could use. Also, I got Dad to sponsor that stupid pro-bending team to steer suspicion away from Future Industries. I’m covering our butts and infiltrating the enemy. What has the lieutenant done besides spy on his own team?”

Asami turned back around and continued going down the stairs. She gripped the front door handle as she heard Amon say almost threateningly, “Be careful with your actions. You don’t want us to think that you’re actually starting to care for the avatar.”

Asami whipped the door open and slammed it behind her as she left the mansion. How dare he talk to her like that? She was the most pivotal person in this whole operation and he had the audacity to accuse her of going soft for the avatar. But you do feel something for him, a tiny voice said in the back of her mind. Asami shook her head. Next thing she knew she was in front of the shed that she kept her motorcycle in. It probably wasn’t wise to use it right now but she needed the ride to clear her head before meeting Korra. Besides, Korra couldn’t possible recognize the bike, she wouldn’t have ever seen it before.

Asami pulled into the park and spotted a dark haired, blue clad woman. She pulled up near the woman and dismounted her bike. The woman in blue smiled when she saw her, but Asami noticed her smile fade as she saw the motorcycle.

Asami walked up to the woman, “Are you Korra?”

The woman tore her gaze away from the bike and looked at Asami, “Oh, yeah that’s me!”

Asami shook Korra’s hand, “Hi, I’m Asami. I’ve heard quite a bit about you. Wow, you two really do look a lot alike.”

“Yeah we get that a lot. Um, so I was just wondering if you remembered me. I know I’m not the avatar or anything, but we have met before, many years ago.”

Asami smiled, “Of course I remember! I was afraid you had forgotten! Although, I guess it’s hard to forget getting hit in the head with a door.”

“I guess the score is even now, though. I did- I mean my cousin, Arrok, did hit you at the same store I’ve heard.”

The two girls laughed, but Korra stopped as her gaze once more shifted to Asami’s motorcycle.

“Is something wrong?” Asami asked.

“Oh, no, sorry,” Korra paused, “Your bike just looks really familiar.”

“It is a Sato model, you’ve probably just seen others like it.”

“I guess so,” Korra didn’t sound convinced that that was the reason.

“Wanna go for a ride?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Come on,” Asami tossed Korra a helmet, “It’ll be fun and I promise I’m safe.”

Korra stared at the helmet in her hands for a few moment until she finally nodded and looked back up at Asami, “Okay.”

Asami smiled and got back on her bike. Korra sat behind her carefully. Asami grabbed Korra’s arms and wrapped them around her own waist. She then sped off into the night. She felt Korra’s arms tighten around her waist as the motorcycle sped up. Asami exited the park and drove on the main roads of Republic city. The lights blurred past them as they flew through the streets. Asami heard Korra laughing behind her out of joy and couldn’t help but smile. After a few blocks, Asami circled back around to the park and ended their joy ride where they had started. Korra carefully removed her arms from Asami’s waste and got off the bike removing her helmet. Asami followed suit.

“That was incredible!” Korra shouted enthusiastically.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“You’re incredible,” Korra said.

Asami blinked at her in surprise, “But, you barely know me.”

She saw Korra blush, “Sorry, I just, I’ve heard a lot about you and you’re so pretty and that was amazing.”

“Did you just call me pretty?”

“Is that okay?”

Asami couldn’t help but give a small smile, “Yeah, I think so.”

“Anyway, I have to go. Arrok is probably wondering where I am.”

“Wait, I have an important question for you,” Asami grabbed Korra’s hands, suddenly intense.

Korra stared at Asami, “What is it?”

“Five years ago you said that you were from the North Pole, but you weren’t a bender, correct?”

“Yeah,” Korra answered, confused, “But why does that matter?”

Asami let go of Korra’s hands and grabbed a piece of paper from one of her pockets. She slipped the paper into Korra’s hand.

“I’ll see you again real soon.”

Asami hopped on her motorcycle and drove away. As she drove away Korra looked down at the paper she had given her. Her eyes widened as she saw “The Revelation” printed in big letters across the paper.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the revelation. Enjoy!

Korra sat staring at the piece of paper in her hands. What did it mean and why did Asami give it to her? It looked similar to the flyers the protester man had been passing out the day she first met Asami so it had to be an equalist flyer, but why would Asami have it? She couldn’t be an equalist, they were friends. Korra had started to think that they might even be becoming more than friends.

Besides, Korra had just seen that morning in the paper that Future Industries, the company owned by the Satos, was sponsoring the Fire Ferrets in pro-bending. They wouldn’t do that if they were equalists. Equalists despised bending so they wouldn’t sponsor it, that made no sense. There was only one way to find out. The Revelation was at the end of the week and Korra was going.

* * *

 

Asami walked into her mansion ready to be greeted by either her father or Amon. She expected one of them would be waiting, someone always was. This time it was her father. 

“Out with the avatar again?” Hiroshi asked as soon as Asami stepped in the door.

Asami crossed her arms, “No, with his cousin actually, Korra. Why do so many people care about who I’m spending time with lately?”

“You’re my daughter, can’t I be interested in your...friends?” 

Asami stared at her father, “Sure, I guess. Anyway that’s not important,” Asami waved her hand as if to dismiss the conversation, “What is important, however, is that I gave a flyer to the avatar’s cousin. Now we just wait and hope she shows up.” 

“Why?” 

“Because if we can get someone that close to the avatar on our side, more people might be convinced to join us.”

“Brilliant. As always,” Hiroshi smiled at his daughter, “Actually, I’m glad I ran into you, there’s a new project I need to show you.” 

“Wow, it’s like we live in the same house or something,” Asami laughed, “Lead the way.” 

Hiroshi led his daughter to the secret underground workshop behind the estate. The first thing Asami saw when she descended the stairs were a few mecha type suits. Hiroshi walked to the nearest one. 

“What do you think?”

Asami approached the machine. It was much taller than herself or her father and it was rather bulky so it had to have sufficient armor. 

“Seems sturdy, but what would we use it for?” 

“Sometimes you need to use a little bit of force to get what you want. You know that.”

“Right, of course.” 

Hiroshi handed Asami a toolbox. 

“The only thing it still needs is the weapons component.”

Asami stared at the toolbox in her hands, “On it.”

* * *

After a few days of failed airbending training attempts Korra decided it was time for another city visit. She also couldn’t resist going to see Asami again, so she found herself that evening on the Sato mansion doorstep ringing the doorbell.

A few minutes later Asami came out the front door, “Hi, Arrok!”

“Hey, I was wondering if you would maybe like to go out?” Korra scratched the back of her neck. 

Asami smiled, “Definitely.” 

The two set out toward the city center. They walked close together, close enough that occasionally their arms would bump sending chills through Korra. Asami must have noticed because eventually she held Korra’s hand. They simply strolled around the city, smiling and talking. Eventually, they ended up in the park where they first met. 

“Would you like to sit?” Korra asked.

“Sure.” 

The two sat on a park bench, the sun had set during their stroll so they now sat under the light of the moon and stars with a few street lamps that were sporadically placed throughout the park. 

“So, how is the whole prodigy heiress thing going?” 

Asami chuckled, “Alright, I guess. My dad just gave me a new project so I’ll be working on that for the next few days.” 

“Oh? What is it?” 

“Sorry, it’s a Sato secret, my lips are sealed for now,” Asami winked.

“I bet I could unseal them,” Korra cringed, “I’m sorry that sounded way better in my head.”

Asami leaned in towards the avatar, “Well I’m not about to bet against that.” 

Korra’s eyes widened, “Wha-?”

Suddenly Asami’s lips were on hers and she felt like melting. Her lips were soft and warm and gone to soon. Asami pulled away slightly, looking right into Korra’s eyes, “Is this ok?” she asked almost under her breath. 

“Absolutely.” 

Korra reclosed the gap, meeting Asami’s lips once again. Asami’s hands were suddenly on her hips. Korra felt her hands start to wander upward and she pulled away. 

Asami stopped, “I’m sorry, did I do something wrong?” 

“No!” Korra rushed out, “No, you’re amazing. I… I just realized how late it was,” Korra lied. She couldn’t tell Asami the real reason she stopped. Asami still didn’t know that Arrok and Korra were the same person. 

Korra could see the disappointment on Asami’s face so she grabbed her hand, “Asami, I really do like you.” 

Asami gave her a small smile, “I- I really like you, too.” 

Korra returned the smile, “I really do need to go, though. We don’t want Tenzin to call the police again.”

Korra kissed Asami on the cheek and left.

* * *

 

Asami rose a hand to her cheek where the avatar had just kissed her as she watched him walk away. Her hand wandered to her lips and she smiled at the memory of the avatar’s lips on hers. 

This was bad. Asami stood up and started to pace around the bench. She had actually fallen for the avatar, the enemy. She had convinced herself that she was merely doing her job and getting close to the avatar was part of the plan, but she didn’t think she would actually start to care about him. Falling for the avatar was not a part of the plan, but maybe the plan was the problem and not her feelings. 

Ever since she was little she had had doubts and reservations about what all the equalists stood for. Of course she believed in equality, but some of the methods of the equalists had never sat right with her and now those doubts were resurfacing. She knew that there were benders out there that abused their power, but the avatar wasn’t one of them. Maybe she could talk to her father and convince him that there was a better solution to inequality rather than through force and fighting. Maybe she could work with the avatar to create equality instead of against him. 

Asami started to walk home and on her way back she thought of how to propose her new idea to her father. She thought she had a decent proposal when she walked in the door to her home and saw her father and Amon. 

“Oh, hello, Asami. I was just leaving,” Amon said as he took a step toward the door. 

“Wait, I have a proposal,” Asami stopped him. 

“It’s late, Asami,” Hiroshi started to say. 

Amon held up a hand to cut him off, “No, I’ll hear it.” 

Asami took a deep breath, “What if we worked with the avatar instead of against him?” 

The two men stared at her incredulously. “I’m sorry, what?” Amon asked. 

“Instead of making the avatar an enemy we could talk to him and have him work with us to peacefully bring about equality.” 

“We’ve already been over this.” 

“No, you’re not listening to me!” 

Amon crossed his arms and Hiroshi looked stunned at her outburst, “Asami.”

“You put me in charge of the avatar, I know more about him than you do. I genuinely think that he would listen to me and help us out. Instead of taking away bending and causing a war we could work with the benders and come up with a better solution.” 

“You might think you know the avatar, but I know how benders really are,” Amon spoke in a low, almost deadly, tone, “All of them only destroy and abuse those around them, even their own family!” Amon ended up shouting. 

Asami’s heart was pounding. She had never heard him shout so angrily like that before, it scared her into a stunned silence. 

Amon regained his composure, “The Revelation will go on tomorrow as planned and you will be there.”

Asami opened her mouth to argue but was cut off by Amon, “End of discussion.” He breezed past her and went out the door. 

“What has gotten into you?” Hiroshi asked his daughter as soon as the door shut. 

“Nothing, it was just an idea,” Asami ran up the stairs to her room before her father could continue the conversation. She couldn’t find a way out of the revelation without making Amon suspicious. She had to find a subtle way to fix this.

* * *

 

The next day Asami waited outside the warehouse where the revelation was being held. She watched people trickle in as the time for the the revelation grew nearer. Finally she saw Korra approach the warehouse. 

“Korra!”

Korra stopped, “Oh, hey, Asami!” 

Asami ran up to Korra, they stood a few feet away from the door and others passed them to get inside. “Listen, you shouldn’t go in there.” 

Korra looked at Asami confused, “But you’re the one who gave me the invite.” 

“I know, just trust me. I need to talk to you and we can’t do that here.” 

“Why can’t you just tell me inside?” 

“It’s...complicated. Please, the avatar could be in danger and it’s my fault.” 

Korra’s face was a combination of shock and confusion, “What are you talking about?” 

Asami looked around to make sure no one was listening in and lowered her voice, “Amon can take away people’s bending. He plans on showing everyone tonight.” 

“What?!” Korra immediately ran to the door, showed the bodyguard her invite, and ran inside. 

“Korra!” Asami yelled after her but it was too late, Korra was already lost among the crowd inside. She was about to rush after her when the lieutenant cut her off at the door. 

“Ah, there you are. Hurry up and put this on,” he held out the helmet she wore when acting on behalf of Amon and the equalists, “Amon is waiting for you inside.”

Asami grabbed the helmet from his hands, “I’ll be there in a few minutes.” 

The lieutenant didn’t move from the door, he clearly wasn’t leaving without her. 

“Fine, or we can go now,” she slipped the helmet on and walked with the lieutenant to the back entrance.

* * *

 

After she managed to get inside Korra wedged herself into the middle of the crowd and waited with everyone else for the revelation to begin. She hoped Asami was somehow wrong about the event. 

After a few minutes a man walked on stage. He wore a mask and hood so one could not see his face much to Korra’s frustration. The crowd got quiet as the man walked to the center of the stage. 

“Welcome to the Revelation. You’re all here because you believe in the equalist cause,” the man said, “It is time that we finally level the playing field and truly make everyone equal by getting rid of bending altogether!” 

_ Oh no. _

As Amon said this his henchman brought out some members of the bending gang, the Triple Threats. They were forced onto stage, all their hands tied and useless to bend. 

Amon approached one of the men and forced him to his knees. He placed his hands on either side of his head and put his thumb on the man’s forehead, moments after the man collapsed. 

“Go ahead, bend,” Amon said above him. 

The man thrust his hands out as if to bend and nothing happened. Korra gasped, but luckily her gasp was drowned out by the cheers of the crowd and no one noticed her shock and disgust. She didn’t want to believe that it was possible, but it clearly was. She had to find a way to stop this. 

Korra spotted a door to the side of the room and quickly shoved her way toward the door. When she finally managed her way inside she found a bunch of pipes along the wall. She could probably bend the water in the pipes and cause steam to flood the room buying her time and giving her cover in order to save the other benders on the stage. She heard another shout from the stage and a cheer from the crowd. She had to hurry.

Korra got into her bending stance and started to focus on the pipes, pulling the water towards her. One of the pipes burst, but one pipe wouldn’t generate enough steam, she would have to work on another pipe. 

“You lied to me,” a voice said from the other side of the small pipe room.

Korra was caught by surprise at the voice. She looked toward where it came from and saw the motorcycle man whom she had run into so many times before. Trying to think fast, Korra shot a jet of water at the man’s head knocking off his helmet. He staggered backward from the force of water but when he rose his head which was now helmet-less Korra almost screamed.

Her enemy wasn’t a man at all, it was Asami. 

“You?!” Korra took a step forward but found herself held back by two new henchman who had snuck up behind her and grabbed her arms. She tried to wrench herself free but the two held fast and started dragging her back towards the main room. 

“I thought we were friends!” Korra shouted as she was finally pulled through the door and back to the main event. 

She couldn’t believe it. How could Asami be the same person who hated her so much? The man- woman- behind the helmet that constantly fought her? She felt so betrayed and defeated. 

One of the henchman pulled her arms behind her back and tied them together with some sort of cord. Each man grabbed one of her arms and led her through the crowd towards the stage. The people in the crowd shot Korra dirty looks and multiple times on her way up to the stage people shoved and jostled her. The henchmen got her to the stage and shoved her to her knees centerstage right in front of Amon. The crowd was shouting and booing at Korra, disgusted that a bender would’ve found their way into this equalist rally. 

Amon held out his arms to silence the crowd and slowly approached Korra. 

“So, you thought you could infiltrate us, did you?” 

“Actually, I was invited,” Korra retorted. 

“Is that so?”

The lieutenant spoke up from the back of the stage, “That’s the avatar’s cousin that your second invited.”

“Oh? The avatar’s cousin?” 

“That’s right, and if anything happens to me the avatar will come after you,” Korra bluffed. 

“Oh, but my dear,” Amon grabbed Korra’s chin and raised her head so that her eyes matched his behind his mask, “That is exactly what I want.”

* * *

 

Asami stood frozen in her spot after she saw Korra get dragged away. The pipe was still pouring water into the room and soon Asami was standing in a pool of water. 

Korra lied to her, she obviously never would have invited her to the Revelation if she knew she was actually a waterbender. She never should have invited her in the first place. Now her friend was in danger and it was her fault. She honestly wasn’t sure if she could still call herself a friend. 

Asami heard the crowd shouting and getting rowdier. This wasn’t right. She never liked the idea of taking away someone’s bending, it just wasn’t right to take away a piece of someone’s identity. She tried talking to Amon about it, but he wouldn’t listen. He never listened. Screw subtlety, she was putting an end to this. 

The crowd got quiet once more and Asami could hear Amon’s voice clear as day, “So, you thought you could infiltrate us, did you?” Asami was beginning to realize that she hated that voice. She hated that voice, and the mask, and the man. 

Asami went back into the main room. She saw Korra on her knees in front of Amon. She  _ really _ hated that. Asami quickly made her way to the stage, she wasn’t sure what she was doing but she knew she was done. 

“That’s right, and if anything happens to me the avatar will come after you,” Asami heard Korra say as she made it to the edge of the stage. 

“Oh, but my dear,” Asami watched Amon grab Korra’s chin and raise her head, “That is exactly what I want.”

She really didn’t like him touching her at all. Asami was filled with hatred and anger. How could she have let him control her for so long? How did she let him convince her that any of this was ok? 

Asami pulled herself onto the stage. She fitted her electric glove over her right hand and attacked Amon from behind. Amon spasmed with the electric current until Asami finally released her hold and he crumpled to the ground. Time froze and the room was silent. Asami only had a few seconds before people recovered from their shock and did something. Asami leapt over Amon’s body and grabbed Korra by her forearm helping her up to her feet with her left hand and quickly held up her electrified right hand to ward off any equalists. 

“Think about coming near us and you’ll end up on the ground like him,” Asami threatened. 

The henchmen had finally snapped out of their shocked state and were edging closer to Asami and Korra, the lieutenant in front of the group. 

“Asami-” 

“Don’t test me,” Asami interrupted, waving her electrified hand in front of her while placing herself in front of Korra. 

Amon grunted from his crumpled state on the stage, he was starting to come to. 

“Let me go and you’re as good as promoted. With me out of the picture, you’ll be his new right hand man. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?” 

The lieutenant considered Asami for a moment, “True, but this will be more satisfying.” 

The lieutenant pulled an electrified rod out from behind him and before Asami could even register what was happening she was being stabbed in the stomach.

* * *

 

“No!” Korra screamed as she saw Asami get stabbed and electrocuted. Asami went limp and Korra was powerless to do anything with her hands still bound behind her back. 

The lieutenant stared down at Asami, “You know I told Amon that she was slipping, but I didn’t actually think that she had fallen for a bender.”

He jabbed her again with the electric rod, watching her body convulse with the new electric current. 

“Stop it!” Korra screamed at him. 

The lieutenant pulled the rod back and turned his attention toward Korra, “I hope your cousin was worth it.” 

He plunged the rod once more into Asami not breaking eye contact with Korra. Korra couldn’t take it anymore. She couldn’t bear seeing Asami get hurt. All feelings of betrayal that she had previously felt was replaced by the intense need to protect Asami. 

Her voice got deadly low, “I said, stop it.” 

“Oh? And how do you plan on making me?” 

Without thinking of the consequences, Korra aimed a side kick at the lieutenant shooting fire  which caused the lieutenant to stagger backward into the henchmen. Her hands became so hot that the cord that had bound her wrists melted off and her hands were finally free to do some serious bending. 

“How the-?” 

“She’s really the avatar,” Amon had finally come to and had risen to is feet. 

The crowd gasped and soon the room was full of murmurs and whispers. Amon started a slow approach toward Korra and Asami. 

“And apparently a liar, too ashamed to show her real self to the world.”

Korra knew Amon was saying this to get inside her head, and it was working. Korra’s breathing grew short and panicky. Her old fear of rejection resurfaced as she heard Amon’s words and the shouts of the crowd. She needed to get Asami and herself out of there. Korra put up a wall of fire separating them from the equalists on the stage. She quickly scooped Asami into her arms and escaped out the back.

* * *

 

Asami woke up in a strange bed in a small room. The room was pretty bland with a single window and basic furniture. 

“Good, you’re awake.” 

Asami jumped as she realized she wasn’t alone in the room. Leaning against the door to the room with her arms crossed was Korra. They must be back at the air temple. 

Asami slowly sat up. It was painful, but she never let pain stop her before. Korra watched her silently. 

“So…” Asami started cautiously.

“You betrayed me,” Korra interrupted. Asami blanched at her tone. It was cold and distant, which made her feel worse than if it had just been pure anger. 

“You were playing me from the start!” Korra’s voice was getting gradually louder, “Was it all fake? Just a way to get to the avatar?” 

“No! I tried to stop you! And I would never have invited you if I knew you were a waterbender.” 

Korra scoffed, “What do you-Wait,” Korra straightened up and took a step closer, “You still don’t know?” 

“Know what?” 

Korra sighed, “I guess everyone will know soon enough anyway. I’m really the avatar.” 

Asami was stunned silent so Korra continued, “I made up Arrok and the whole cousin thing because I was afraid people wouldn’t accept me as their avatar. And soon everyone will know, because of you.” 

Asami couldn’t respond. She stared at down at the bed with her mind whirling. Every interaction she had with either Arrok or Korra was actually her interacting with the same person. Everything made so much more sense. How could she have not seen it before?

“So I need to know. Was it all fake?” 

Korra’s voice was so full of hurt and betrayal and it ran much deeper than Asami had originally thought. 

“I never should have gotten involved with the equalists, I know that now and I’m trying to fix it-” 

“That wasn’t my question,” Korra cut her off, “Was everything we did, everything I thought we had and felt part of some plan orchestrated by you and Amon?” 

Asami couldn’t look at Korra, “That is why I pursued you, yes, but-” 

Korra turned her back on Asami and opened the door, “Goodbye, Asami.” 

Asami couldn’t bear seeing Korra turn her back on her. She tried to jump out of the bed but the sharp pain in her stomach prevented it. She winced and braced one arm on the bed with the other wrapped around her stomach. “Then why did you save me?” she yelled causing Korra to freeze in the doorway, “If I hurt you so much why didn’t you just leave me there?” 

Asami stared at Korra’s back, her heart thumping against her chest. Korra didn’t look back as she said, “Because what I felt was never fake,” and she left closing the door behind her. 

Asami stared at the closed door. She was all alone. In one night, she burned all bridges leaving her alone to feel sorry for herself and her past choices. She curled herself into a ball and cried for the first time in years. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to share thoughts!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm slowly but surely updating. Also, I am now realizing that I have a preference for writing from Asami's point of view lol. Enjoy!

Korra shut the door behind her and leaned against it for a moment. She could feel her eyes starting to tear up, but she didn’t want to cry, not now. If only she could make her tears listen to her wishes.

“Korra?”

Korra looked up and saw that Jinora had just turned the corner into the hall and was now looking at her with concern. Korra used her arm to wipe her eyes and tried to force a smile.

“Oh, hey, Jinora.”

“Would you like to talk?” Jinora asked, her voice full of concern.

“No, I think I just need to be alone right now,” Korra said this and quickly fled from the hallway leaving Jinora alone.

Jinora knew that she couldn’t convince Korra to talk to her if Korra didn’t want to, but she wanted to help. She knew that both Asami and Korra were struggling right now, but she also knew that they both still cared for each other despite the recent events. She knew that they needed each other more than they would admit. The few times she saw them together, Jinora could see what was between them. She knocked on the door and entered the room where Asami was lying huddled in the bed facing the wall.

“Asami?”

There was no response from the huddled form. Jinora shut the door behind her and walked over to the bed and gently sat on its edge.

“I know you are going through a lot right now and it wasn’t easy to do what you did.”

“How can you even talk to me?” was Asami’s muffled response.

Jinora furrowed her eyebrows, “What do you mean?”

Asami sat up abruptly, tears still streaking down her face, “I’m the enemy!”

“No, you’re not,” Jinora said calmly.

Asami scoffed, “Of course I am. I worked with Amon, I was his second in command!”

“Exactly, you _ worked  _ with Amon and you  _ were  _ his second in command, but you changed when you realized it was wrong. You’re here now.”

“Only because Korra saved me,” Asami said wistfully, looking down.

“You saved each other, in more ways than one.”

Asami shook her head, “I hurt her.”

“You’re both hurting right now. What’s done is done and neither of you can change the past, but you need to talk to each other. And I mean really talk to each other.”

“Korra made it clear that she doesn’t want to see me.”

“I know. Just give it some time and both of you will be ready to talk,” Jinora hopped off the bed and went to the door, “And if you’re feeling up to it, dinner will be in a couple of hours. You should join us.”

“Dinner? How long was I out?” 

“All of last night and most of today. You know, Korra was in here the whole time. She might be upset, but she obviously still cares for you.”

With that, Jinora left the room and went in search of Korra. She first searched Korra’s room which she found empty. After scouring the temple Jinora turned her search outside. She finally spotted Korra in the meditation pavilion leaning over one of the railings.

“Hey,” Jinora approached.

Korra didn’t turn from the rail, “Hey, Jinora.”

Jinora joined Korra at the railing and they both stood staring out at the distance until Jinora finally asked, “How are you feeling?”

Korra sighed, “I don’t know.”

Silence enveloped them once more.

“I just talked to Asami. She is really beating herself up over you and everything she did.”

“Good.”

Korra’s short response created a short silence. Finally Jinora said, “I know you don’t want to hear this, but Asami isn’t the bad guy anymore. You need to talk with her.”

“I already did.”

“No, you talked at her. You didn’t even try to listen to her.”

Korra tore her gaze from beyond the railing to glare at Jinora who continued, “All I’m saying is that you should at least hear her side of the story. I’m not saying who have to like her or forgive her, just listen,” Jinora started to walk back towards the temple.

Korra watched Jinora go back to the temple, her mind whirling.

“But that’s the thing,” she spoke to no one in particular, “I still do like her.”

* * *

Asami had spent the last couple of hours prepping herself for dinner which included slowly and painfully standing up and walking again. She paced around the small room trying to hype herself up both physically and mentally into going to dinner and facing everyone there. She couldn’t imagine that they would be quick to forgive and forget that she had been an equalist, and not just any equalist, but the equalist who was closest to Amon and who had been deceiving and using the avatar.

Asami’s pacing grew faster as her thoughts raced. What right did she have being here? Why were they allowing her to stay after knowing who she was and what she had done? She didn’t have any right. Surely they were making a mistake in letting her stay. She shouldn’t be here.

Asami walked to the door to her room and wrapped her hand around the knob before realizing that she had nowhere else to go. She couldn’t go back home anymore, her father would know by now about her betrayal and even if he didn’t Amon would always find her there.  _ Amon,  _ her eyes widened in fear at the thought of him. She hadn’t thought before about what he would do. Would he come after her? Asami couldn’t stay here. She finally threw the door open only to run into Ikki who was standing right outside her door.

“Oh, hey, Asami! Jinora told me to come grab you for dinner!”  

Asami blinked down at Ikki in bewilderment. She swore these airbending kids were everywhere. Ikki didn’t give her a chance to respond and simply grabbed her arm, leading her out of her room and down the hall, all the while speaking a mile a minute, “I hope you’re ok with vegetarian food because that’s all we have on the island, you know, being air nation and all. But if you ask me, we have the best produce in the whole world. Well, I’ve never traveled outside of Republic City but I’m sure ours is the best anyway. When all you eat is vegetables you get really good at growing it! At least that’s my theory. And we’re here!”

Ikki had led Asami to the dining room of the airbending family where everyone except Korra was already sitting. Asami let out a breath of relief, she wasn’t sure if she would be able to face Korra again.

“You can sit next to me!” Ikki led Asami to two empty cushions on one side of the table and sat down. Asami followed suit sitting next to the excitable girl.

“How are you feeling, dear?” Pema asked as she passed around some food.

Asami looked down at her lap, “I’m...alright. Thank you so much for letting me stay here.”

“It’s no problem at all!”

_ That’s a lie. _ Asami thought bitterly. She knew her presence here would cause problems one way or another eventually.  _ Why are they being so kind to me? _

Just then Korra entered the room and Asami could feel time stop. Their eyes met and Asami couldn’t breathe. She wondered if everyone else in the room could feel the tension between the two girls. Korra was the first to tear her gaze away and she quickly sat down at her spot which was conveniently right across from Asami.  _ Just my luck. _

Everyone started to eat quietly. Asami couldn’t help but try and steal a few glances toward Korra who seemed to be focusing extremely hard on eating her food, very obviously trying to ignore the person sitting across from her. 

“Sooo,” Jinora, who was sitting next to Korra, broke the silence, “How was everyone’s day?”

Asami heard someone answer Jinora, but she wasn’t listening. She was too busy looking at Korra who still refused to look at her. It suddenly became important to Asami that she acknowledge her existence. She could take Korra’s anger and hatred, but she couldn’t bear being outright ignored by her.  _ Look at me. _

“I saw a rainbow earlier today, it was super pretty!”

_ Please, look at me. _

“Yeah! And I saw a platypus-bear!”

“No you didn’t, Meelo! Stop lying!”

_ Look at me! _

Asami could feel tears starting to prick her eyes. Obviously it was too soon for the two of them to be in the same room. She stood up announcing, “You know, I’m actually not that hungry. I’m just going to go back to my room.”

She started to walk toward the door when Pema spoke up, “Asami, please stay and eat. You need the food to help you heal.”

“Why should she?”

“Korra!”

Asami spun around to see Korra staring straight ahead, right where Asami had been sitting. Korra spoke to the empty space, “Why should she stay here? Did you all just forget who she is?”

“You’re the one who brought me here,” Asami’s voice shook. 

Korra’s eyes snapped to Asami and everyone around the table fell silent. No one knew how to react or what to do in the situation. Asami took a step closer to Korra.

“You’re the one who couldn’t leave me. You brought me here and you stayed by my bedside all night. You had every chance to get rid of me, but you didn’t. So I don’t want to hear it.”

Korra sprang up from her sitting position, her voice growing to a shout, “You don’t want to hear it?! I’m sorry I couldn’t just leave you there! I brought you here because you were hurt, but you’re clearly better now so there’s no reason for you to stay.”

“Korra, she has nowhere else to go,” Jinora spoke up.

“That’s her own fault! Maybe she shouldn’t have been lying to everyone.”

“I’m not the only one who lied!” Asami shouted, “And I tried to fix things, but you wouldn’t listen! I gave up everything to save you and yet you still won’t listen!”

Korra stepped up to Asami so that they were almost touching, “And why should I?!”

“That’s enough!” The two girls were suddenly blown apart by a huge gust of wind. They both looked in bewilderment toward the source of the wind and saw Jinora. 

“You two need to sort this out without yelling at each other in front of everyone!” the two girls just continued to glare at each other as Jinora went on, “I was going to let you both work it out on your own in your own time, but clearly that’s not happening so welcome to your new mediator we’re dealing with this right now.” 

Jinora grabbed both girls by their elbows and dragged them out the door leaving the rest of the airbending family speechless. The room became extraordinarily still and silent without them.

“So, Meelo, you said you saw a platypus-bear today?”

“No, he didn’t!”

* * *

Jinora dragged the two older girls into the nearest empty dormitory. Korra and Asami faced opposite walls with their arms crossed.

Jinora sighed, “Please just talk to each other. I’m going to wait right outside.”

“You’re not staying?!”

“No, this is between you two so you guys need to figure it out,” Jinora walked out the door and before closing it said, “Good luck.”

After the door shut the room was silent and tense. Asami was the first to turn and face Korra.

“I can help you, you know.”

Korra finally faced Asami, “What?”

“You asked why you should listen back in the dining room. I can help you, I want to help you. I know things about Amon and my father that can help us. I know their tech and I can use it against them. I was trying to tell you before that I was trying to fix my mistakes, I still am,” Asami sighed, “Please, all I ask is that you listen to me. You don’t have to forgive me or like me, but you have to accept that I’m here now and I can help.”

Korra stood for a moment, considering Asami, then she crossed the room to sit on the bed, “Fine.”

Asami took this as an invitation to begin, so she did, “The other day I tried to stop you from going in to the revelation. I told you that Amon was planning on taking away people’s bending. I didn’t realize I was putting you in danger, I was trying to keep the avatar away from danger. I didn’t know that was you.”

“Clearly,” Korra interrupted.

Asami took a deep breath, she had to keep going, “I was caught off guard when I saw you bending water. I didn’t know how to react when the equalists came up behind you, I just froze. Before you got caught I was trying to find a way to quietly leave the equalists, without causing much suspicion or having Amon stop me. But then I realized that that was never going to be an option. Amon was never going to listen to me, he just wanted to use me. I realized that I hated him and that what the equalists were doing was wrong, so I went after you. You know the rest.”

Korra sat on the bed with her arms crossed in silence for a few moments. Asami could swear she saw Korra’s features soften just a bit. “So you just had an epiphany or something? And why were you ever with them to begin with?”

Asami crossed the room and answered while looking out the window, “I grew up under the care of my father and under the wing of Amon. Ever since I was a little girl Amon filled my head with equalist ideals, they both manipulated me and I believed them. You know they told me you were evil?”

“What?!”

“They told me that you were coming to the city to keep all us non-benders in line. At first, I thought it didn’t make sense, but if my dad believed in Amon why shouldn’t I? I trained for years under Amon and soon I became his second in command. When I first met you the only things I knew about you were the lies that my father and Amon had told me for years. But the more we spent time together the more I realized just how wrong they were. I guess I knew for a while that what we were doing was wrong, but it really started to click when I got to know you. The night before the revelation I tried to talk to Amon and my dad, I thought that I could reason with them and that I could get them to realize that there was a better way to gain equality through collaboration rather than force. I thought they would understand, but I was wrong. Amon wouldn’t listen, he never really listened and I was just too blind to see that before.”

Asami paused and took a deep breath. She turned to face Korra whose whole attention was on her. “I know you have every reason to distrust me, hate me even, but what I felt for you was- is real.”

“That’s the thing, I can’t hate you.”

Asami stared wide eyed at Korra, she was not expecting that.

“Logic tells me that I should hate you, but I just can’t. I can’t stop wanting to be with you despite what you’ve done. I still have feelings for you.”

“You do?”

Asami had never felt more relieved in her life. She was terrified that she had ruined everything with Korra, but if Korra still had feelings for her, maybe she could still try and fix things. Without thinking Asami launched herself at Korra knocking her backward onto the bed. Asami straddled Korra’s hips, “I couldn’t stop wanting you either.” Asami then brought her lips to Korra’s and was pleased to find Korra kissing back. All the tension and pent up feelings went into their kiss. Korra ran her fingers through Asami’s long hair causing Asami to smile against Korra’s lips and then move her own lips to Korra’s neck. Enjoying the feeling of Asami’s lips against her neck, Korra closed her eyes but as she closed them all she could see in her mind was Asami talking to Amon the night she stayed at the Sato estate. All she could see was Asami the equalist.

_ “I assume you’re here for my report. Let’s go to my father’s office to talk.” _

_ “I didn’t tell my father about the avatar being there at the arena.” _

_ “Didn’t think he would like that, huh?” _ _  
_ _ “No, all he needed to know was that it worked.” _

_ “If anything happens to me the avatar will come after you.” _

_ “Oh, but my dear, that is exactly what I want.” _

_ “How does it feel to not have the upper hand for once?” _

Korra’s eyes shot open, “Stop. Stop!” she practically shoved Asami off of her and sat up. Asami stumbled backward away from the bed.

“I’m sorry, did I do something wrong?”

“No, I just...can’t,” Korra squeezed her eyes shut and brought her knees up to her chest, “I want to believe you’re on our side now, but I can’t stop thinking what if this is exactly what he wants. What if this is what he, what you two, planned all along.”

Asami knew she was talking about Amon. She couldn’t really blame Korra for being scared of Amon and whether or not he still had a hold on her.

“Korra,” Asami started and reached a hand out toward Korra.

Korra opened her eyes and pulled away from Asami’s hand, “No!”

Asami tried not to show how much Korra’s recoil hurt her, but failed, the hurt plainly written across her face. Before she could say anything the door opened and Jinora peeked in.

“Is everything alright? I heard a shout.”

“Yeah, I just need more time,” Korra said as she got up and walked past Jinora and out the door.

Jinora turned to Asami, raising her eyebrows in question.

“We...talked,” Asami said.

“Okaayy, and?”

Asami looked wistfully out the door where Korra had left, “I don’t know.”

* * *

The airbending family set up Asami right next to Korra’s dormitory which was both convenient and awkward. Asami was too exhausted to complain much, though. The day had been both physically and emotionally draining. She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

_ “Asami...Asami.” She knew that voice, it was the one she had grown to hate. Asami opened her eyes and found herself face to face with Amon. _

_ Asami scurried backward, “Leave me alone.” When did she get out of bed? _

_ Amon took a menacing step toward her, “You can’t get away from me that easily.” _

_ Asami tried to back away from him but found her back to a wall, she was cornered, “I’m not going back. I won’t do your dirty work anymore.”  _

_ Amon grabbed her upper arm causing Asami to tense up, “Yes, you will. And you’re going to be the one who delivers the avatar straight to me.” _

_ No. Asami shook her head vehemently. No, no, no. _

“No!”

Asami shot up in bed, breathing hard. She was safe, Amon wasn’t here and he wasn’t going to get the avatar. That shout hadn’t come from her, though. It sounded like it came from Korra’s room. Asami took a deep breath and got out of bed. She entered Korra’s room cautiously and saw her thrashing around in her bed and muttering. Asami carefully walked to the bed and sat on the edge.

“Korra?” she gently put her hand on Korra’s shoulder.

Korra shot up to a sitting position with a shout at Asami’s touch. She looked wildly around the room before her eyes settled on Asami.

“What are-?”

“I heard you shouting. Nightmare?”

“Yeah,” Korra hugged herself and didn’t elaborate any further.

Asami brought her legs up on the bed, sitting cross-legged. “I was having one, too. Would you like to talk about it?”

“He took away my bending. I was helpless to stop him and when he took my bending away I felt so useless.”

“Amon was a part of my nightmare, too.”

“Did he come after you?”

“Yeah, but the scariest part was that he was going to take you away,” Asami paused and hugged her legs, “And he was going to use me to do it.”

The girls sat in silence for a few minutes before Korra finally spoke again, “I’m sorry I wouldn’t listen to you earlier.”

Asami was taken aback by Korra’s apology, “No, I totally understand why you wouldn’t. I pretended to be someone I wasn’t to get to you, I can see why it would be hard to trust me again.”

“We both pretended to be someone we weren’t,” Korra looked away.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why did you pretend to be Arrok?”

“Things are different in the North Pole. It’s still hard to be a girl waterbender there, Katara helped to open up the bending academy to girls but they still face a lot of adversity and it’s hard to get the same education as the boys. When I discovered I could waterbend I decided to go to the academy, but I thought it would be easier to go as a boy. You know, master waterbending and then go back to just being Korra and everyone else would just have to deal with it. But then one day at training I found out that I was the new avatar. I couldn’t start off my avatar career by telling everyone ‘oh by the way, I’ve been lying to you guys!’ so I kept up the charade. The longer it went on, the harder it was to reveal the truth. I didn’t want to disappoint everyone.”

“I totally get it.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, it wasn’t easy being a girl in the industry. My dad always believed in me, but I just remember being in rooms full of old men who would look down on me just for being a little girl. I always had to do twice the amount of work and be twice as smart just to prove myself to them.”

“Men suck.”

“Yeah, they do,” Asami laughed, but quickly turned serious again, “I won’t let him.”

“What?” Korra asked, confused.

Asami grabbed Korra’s hand, looking right into her eyes, “I won’t let Amon get you. I won’t let him hurt you and I won’t let him get to me ever again.”

Something in Asami’s eyes told Korra that she meant what she was saying. Asami started to get up from the bed but felt a tug on her hand. She looked down and saw Korra still holding it.

“Do you think maybe you could stay?” she asked, blushing.

Asami grinned and nodded. She joined Korra in bed and both felt a sense of comfort and safety as they slept in each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to share thoughts!


	12. Chapter 12

Korra woke up the next morning still in Asami’s arms. She opened her eyes and saw Asami’s looking right back at her, her eyes lit up with a smile.

“You’re still here,” Korra said just above a whisper.

Asami propped her head up on one hand, “Of course.”

“I wasn’t sure if you were for real. I thought...nevermind.”

Asami frowned, “No, what were you gonna say?”

“I thought you might still slip out in the night to rejoin the equalists or that you might have brought them here.”

“Oh,” was the only thing Asami could get out in response.

“I want to trust you, really, but it’s just hard. Sometimes I see you and I see the beautiful, intelligent girl that I started to fall for, but other times I only see the equalist who attacked and used me.”

Asami nodded solemnly and sat up, “I understand,” she got out of bed. 

Korra sat up quickly, “I didn’t mean that I wanted you to leave.”

Asami gave her a small, sad smile, “I know,” she crossed the room to the door, “We have more to work out and I’m not going anywhere.”

Asami left Korra alone in the room feeling confused and conflicted. She wanted Asami to be here, but she also couldn’t handle the fact that the person who had been her enemy was here. It was hard to separate the past from the present. Intellectually, Korra knew that Asami was now against the equalists and was trying to right her past mistakes, but that didn’t stop her from being afraid that it was still an act. A small part of her screamed at herself,  _ you were acting, too! You lied to more than just Asami about who you were really were.  _ Korra slowly got up from the bed and started to pace the room, lost in her thoughts.

_ That was different _ , Korra tried to argue with herself,  _ I wasn’t hurting anyone and I was protecting myself. _

_ Asami thought she was protecting herself, too. _

_ What? _

_ Asami thought she was protecting herself by allying with Amon before she realized how wrong his methods were. _

Her thoughts were interrupted as someone knocked on her door. “Yeah?” she called to whoever was outside. The door cracked open and Jinora peered in holding a newspaper.

“There’s, uh, something you need to see,” Jinora said solemnly as she held out the newspaper to Korra.

She did not like the way Jinora said that, or the worry clearly written across her face as she waited for Korra to take the paper. Korra’s heart beat fast as she accepted the paper and finally saw the headline.

_ Who Really is the Avatar? _

_ How well do we really know the avatar? The avatar is not who we thought he was. Or should I say, she. It was revealed last night that the Avatar Arrok isn’t really Arrok, but a girl named Korra. That’s right, the avatar is just a girl. _

The article went on but Korra didn’t read the rest. How could the press have gotten their hands on this story so fast? And then it sunk in, now everyone really does know how she lied to them all. Will the public still trust her? Korra dropped the newspaper and rushed out of the room.

“Korra!” Jinora called after her, but she didn’t stop. She ran into the dining room to find the rest of the airbending family sitting around a radio.

_ Breaking news, the avatar has been hiding behind a made up identity for years. The avatar we know as Arrok is actually the Northern Water Tribe chief’s daughter, Korra. Apparently, the water tribe girl masqueraded as a boy in her time at the waterbending academy and continued to hold up the charade here in Republic City. We have an eye witness with us today who saw the whole reveal. _

“Korra!” Tenzin reached for the radio dial to switch it off as he realized she had entered the room.

“No, don’t.”

Tenzin’s hand hovered over the dial for a moment before he nodded and let his hand drop. Korra stared at the radio intensely as if it were the actual eye witness speaking.

_ Yeah I was at the peaceful protest the other day when it was revealed that Avatar Arrok was really Avatar Korra. _

“Peaceful protest?” Korra said incredulously.

_ She was there under the guise of a non-bender, the cousin of the avatar. Which now if you think about it, Arrok is just Korra spelled backwards so I don’t know how we didn’t see it before. Anyway, we were discussing ways to work with the benders in order to facilitate more equality between us when she simply went crazy. Next thing we know this girl we thought was a nonbender was blowing our pipes and spewing flames. Luckily, she left before there was too much damage or injuries. We thought before that night that maybe we could actually work with the avatar, but clearly she would rather fight us than work with us toward greater equality. Besides, how could we trust someone who lies about her identity to the world? If you ask me, someone only assumes another identity if they have something to hide which makes you wonder what she has to hide. So I ask the public, can we really trust an avatar who hides and lies? _

Tenzin switched the radio off and the room was silent.

“Well that was a bunch of bullshit.”

Korra whirled around to see Asami standing a few steps behind her. Everyone stared at Asami at a loss as to what to say themselves. Asami walked to stand next to Korra and continued, “Nothing about the Revelation was peaceful. Amon wouldn’t even consider working with the avatar, I know, I asked. Amon was taking away people’s bending and Korra only used her bending in order to save me. It’s my fault that she was even there in the first place and that everyone now knows that she is the avatar. What I don’t understand, though, is why they didn’t expose me.”

“Either Amon thinks you’ll come back,” Korra responded.

Asami shook her head, “I won’t.”

“Or he thinks he can still use you.”

Asami stared wide-eyed at everyone shaking her head, “I’m sorry,” and she bolted from the room.

* * *

Korra stood facing the airbending family, she didn’t turn to watch Asami run. After a few moments the silence over the family was finally broken by Tenzin.

“We can fix this, Korra.”

“That’s what I keep hearing,” she responded and when no one cut in she continued, “Everyone keeps telling me we are going to fix this or that and I’m tired of needing to fix things after the fact. I’m tired of always being a step behind and having to fix what’s left,” she paused, “I need some air.”

Korra turned and fled from the room. She walked all the way to the front of the complex and opened the front door to find a crowd of people waiting outside the door. Some held recorders while some equipped pen and paper.

“The avatar!” Someone shouted and suddenly the crowd was flocking around Korra. People shoved to get near her and recorders invaded her personal space. She didn’t even have time to tell them to go away before the questions started flooding her.

“Is your name really Arrok or Korra?”

“Why did you have two identities?”

“Is it true that you attacked non-benders at a peaceful protest?”

“Are you even really the avatar?”

The last question caught Korra’s attention, “Of course I am!”

“Why did you pretend to be someone else?”

“I didn’t pretend to be someone else. I just- I thought it might be easier-”

“What’s your stance on the equalist movement?”

“Well, I-”

“Have you heard the rumors about bending being taken away?”

Soon all the questions blurred into white noise. Korra didn’t come out here to be hounded by reporters.

“Ok, listen up,” Korra practically shouted, “You want my story? Here it is. I grew up in the Northern Water Tribe and as a kid I thought it would be faster and easier to go through the waterbending academy as a boy. There’s less fuss if you’re a boy. I didn’t know I was the avatar and when I did discover that I was the avatar I figured it was too late to go back to being Korra because I didn’t want to start off my avatar career with that sort of drama. Besides, I probably got more respect as Arrok than I would’ve gotten as Korra, it’s sad but it’s true. And the Revelation was nothing close to a peaceful protest. The leader, Amon, is planning on taking away people’s bending, I saw it myself. I only revealed my bending in order to protect someone and now we are here. That’s all I’m saying now get out of here!”

There was a moment of silence before all the reporters started shouting their questions again at her.

“Augh! Can’t you guys leave me alone? I have important avatar stuff I actually need to deal with instead of pesky reporters like you!”

Silence again, except this time it lasted until only one voice spoke up, “You'll never be the avatar Aang was.”

Korra froze. This is what she had feared. She feared that people wouldn’t accept a new avatar who wasn’t Aang, especially one that was a girl. How could she possibly live up to the Avatar Aang? And even if she worked her butt off, people would still find faults with her and how she went about avatar business. She took a deep breath and steeled herself, “You're right, I won't be. I'm not supposed to be like Aang and I don't need to act like someone else just for your approval. I'm Avatar Korra of the Northern Water Tribe and you gotta deal with it.”

Korra turned her back on the reporters and went to shut the door in their faces, but instead a huge gust of wind came out of her outstretched hands slamming the door shut for her. She looked between the door and her hands in disbelief. Did she just airbend? Then she let out a small laugh. It figures she would finally be able to airbend after letting go of the idea that she had to be like Aang to gain approval. She smiled, she was the avatar and no one was going to take that away from her.

* * *

Asami sat in her temporary room as she stayed on the island. Her fears from the night before resurfaced, her fears that she was just endangering Korra more by staying on the island with the airbenders, and the nightmare and the news reports only made them worse. But she couldn’t stay in this room forever. Maybe she should go see Korra and find out if she could make herself useful.

Asami opened the door to the hallway to be greeted by Korra running down the hall yelling.

“Tenzin!”

Asami stood bewildered in the doorway for a few moments and watched Korra turn the corner at the other end of the hall still shouting. What was that all about? Only one way to find out. Asami quickly followed Korra around the corner and continued to follow the sounds of her footsteps and shouts through the complex until she was led outdoors to the pavilion where she found not only Korra, who was standing hunched over with her hands on her knees catching her breath, but also Tenzin and the airbending kids who sat cross-legged in the pavilion.

“What’s wrong, Korra?” Tenzin asked as he stood up.

Korra smiled and between breaths said, “Nothing!”

“You came running and shouting...because nothing is wrong?”

“You sounded like it was urgent,” Asami spoke up from the entrance of the pavilion.

Korra looked over toward Asami, “Oh, hey, Asami!” she straightened and turned her attention back to Tenzin, “Yes! Nothing is wrong as in nothing is wrong with me anymore! I airbent!”

At that the kids all stood up and rushed over to Korra smiling and congratulating her.

“That’s amazing!”

“I told you it would just take some time.”

“Finally!”

“That’s great! How did you do it?” Tenzin asked.

“Well there were reporters and they were annoying me and long story short I think I finally accepted that I’m not supposed to be like Aang, I am my own avatar and I think that helped me to finally unlock my airbending!”

“Accepting herself and separating herself from Aang must have helped her connect to her inner self, or more accurately her spiritual side,” Jinora said.

“And he won’t know about it!” Asami excitedly added.

Korra turned to Asami, “He?”

“Um, Amon,” Asami looked away from everyone, “A part of my job was to get close to you to find out weaknesses and I told him that you couldn’t airbend.”

“Oh,” Asami could hear the disappointment in Korra’s voice. That was one of the first things Asami told Amon among many things. When Korra thought she was talking to a new friend she had really been talking to a rat.

“But, hey, now it’s an advantage because he’ll think you can’t do it!” Asami tried to add optimistically.

“Yeah, that’s true,” Korra attempted a weak smile toward Asami.

_ It’s better than anger or disappointment, I guess,  _ Asami thought as she returned a half grin.

“Well, it doesn’t matter what Amon knows or doesn’t know. We should begin training again right away!” Tenzin said leading Korra past Asami and out of the pavilion. The airbending kids bounded out of the pavilion and ran toward the training grounds ahead of the rest.

“Wait,” Korra stopped Tenzin to ask, “Was there a reason you came out here, Asami?”

Asami awkwardly crossed her arms, “Um, actually I was just curious as to why you were running and shouting through the halls, but I do want to ask something. Is there anything I can do to help? If I’m gonna be here and put you in more danger I might as well try to be useful.”

“You think being here is putting us in more danger?”

“Well it’s like you said earlier, Amon must think he can still get to me so me being here isn’t exactly helping keep him away,” Asami still refused to look at Korra.

Korra grabbed Asami’s shoulder causing Asami to finally look at her, “Listen, you being here isn’t putting anyone else in more danger. Everyone in Republic City knows I live here. If he wanted to get me here he could’ve done that any time before. He might be after both of us now which just means we’ll have to watch each other’s backs. Ok?”

Asami nodded and Korra didn’t know why but she leaned in and kissed Asami on the cheek. She didn’t know why she did, but it just felt right. She quickly followed Tenzin out of the pavilion leaving Asami who stared after her with a hand on her cheek where Korra had just kissed her. They had kissed before, but that was before the whole truth was out. Did this mean that Korra was starting to forgive her? Were there feelings starting to go back to what they were before? Everything was so confusing and complicated.

* * *

The rest of the day passed without anything eventful happening. Asami tried to help Pema, the only other nonbender on the island, with whatever she could around the complex. She didn’t see Korra for the rest of the day, she was probably busy with more airbending training. Finally, night fell and Asami retired to her room and fell asleep.

_ Asami was standing in Korra’s room dressed in all black with an electric glove on one hand, crackling and ready for use. _

_ “Do it,” Amon said from behind her. _

_ Asami shook her head, but couldn’t stop walking toward Korra’s bed until she was standing right over her sleeping form. She didn’t want to. _

_ “I told you the avatar was your job, now do it!” _

_ Amon grabbed Asami’s arm and plunged the electrified glove into the sleeping avatar. _

“Asami? Asami!”

Asami sat up swinging her fist, but her arm was caught by someone standing over her.

“Whoa, it’s just me,” she heard Korra’s voice.

Asami blinked at Korra, “What are you doing in here?”

Korra released Asami’s arm and sat on the bed, “I heard you screaming so I figured it was my turn on nightmare duty.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No need. Do you want me to stay?”

Asami bit her lip, “Could you?”

Korra nodded and joined Asami in the bed. She wrapped her arms around Asami and whispered, “I won’t let him get you either.”

* * *

The next day Asami woke up to find Korra’s warmth gone. She must already be out training with Tenzin and the kids. Asami got up and dressed and walked to the dining room where she found Pema with some breakfast.

“Good morning! Hungry?”

Asami smiled and sat down, “Yes, thank you.”

“Oh, I’m also supposed to pass on the message that when you are ready, Tenzin and Korra wanted to have a sort of meeting with you.”

Asami figured that they would want information on Amon and the equalists eventually, that must be what this meeting was for.

“I’ll meet up with them after I help you clean up.”

When Pema and Asami finished cleaning up the dining room Asami went in search of Korra and Tenzin. Better to do this sooner than later. She finally found them in Korra’s room.

“Hey, Asami!”

Asami waved, “I assume you want to talk about what I know about the equalists.”

“Yes,” Tenzin answered bluntly.

Asami nodded and sat on the bed, “Alright, let’s get this over with.”

Korra sat next to her on the bed and Tenzin took the only chair in the room. Asami told them everything she knew. She told them the plans that she had been let in on and her own role with the equalists. She told them the information she told Amon and also gave them information on Amon and her father.

“Before I left, my father wanted me to work on these mecha type suits. They were massive and they wanted me to add my electric tech to it. I left before they were finished but who knows what they’ve done to them. As far as I’m aware, right now Amon’s largest goal is to take away people’s bending, especially yours, Korra,” Asami finished.

“Do you have any idea where he planned on going next?” Korra asked.

Asami shook her head, but then something struck her, “I don’t know if this is where he’ll be, but I gave my father the idea to have Future Industries sponsor the Fire Ferrets, Mako and Bolin, in pro-bending.”

Korra’s eyes widened, “I almost forgot.”

“I don’t know if that’s where Amon or my father will be next, but my father does have an in at the arena thanks to me. We should at least warn Mako and Bolin.”

“The pro-bending arena would be a great place to send a message, actually,” Tenzin said, “It’s always broadcast over the radio and has huge audiences.”

“Oh my god. I just remembered. He had me scope out the arena awhile ago, that’s why I ran into you and Tak there. That has to be where he’s going next.”

“Okay, we can all go to Lin and tell her everything you told us. Then maybe we could come up a plan with her and the force’s help.”

“No!” Korra shouted, startling both Tenzin and Asami.

“What?”

Korra grabbed Asami’s hand, “We can’t tell Beifong everything Asami told us, then she’ll know that Asami was the motorcycle man and who knows what would happen to her.”

“We have to tell her what we know! We could just explain how Asami switched sides and then Lin won’t go after her.”

Korra stood still holding onto Asami’s hand, “We don’t know that for sure, she might still try to detain her. I can’t let that happen.”

_ Detain?  _ Asami hadn’t fully thought about the consequences of her past. She hadn’t considered that people might still want to see her behind bars for what she had done as en equalist despite her switching sides. Asami looked up to Korra who now stood slightly in front of her as if to shield her.

“I see,” Tenzin looked from Korra to Asami and saw their intertwined fingers, “What do you suggest we do then?”

“Just you and I go to Beifong and tell her about our suspicions of an attack at the arena. We can tell her the information that doesn’t immediately link Asami to the equalists and if she asks us where we got the information we can tell her I got it from someone at the Revelation. Everyone knows I was there now, so it would seem pretty plausible.”

“What about me?” Asami asked.

“You can’t go. It might seem suspicious if we just so happen to have new information that you know too when you seemingly have had nothing to do with this so far.”

“I think that makes sense,” Tenzin said.

Asami conceded, “Fine.”

“We’ll go tonight.”

* * *

Asami sat in her room after Korra and Tenzin left. Korra told her that she didn’t know how long it was going to take so to not wait up for them to get back. Asami didn’t want to go to sleep, though. She knew her nightmares would just come back and the longer she put them off the better. She dragged the single chair in the room toward the window and sat looking out at the still night. She could just sit here and wait until Tenzin and Korra came back. She knew Korra told her not to wait up, but she wanted to. She was just going to sit here and look out the window waiting. Just sit here and…

“Hello, Asami.”

Asami’s head jerked up in her chair and she saw Amon standing in front of her. Oh no, how did she fall asleep? She didn’t want to handle another nightmare, especially with Korra gone.

“Can’t you at least leave me alone in my dreams?” Asami closed her eyes hoping that when she opened them again she would wake up from the nightmare.

Amon let out a low chuckle, “This isn’t a dream, Asami.”

Asami opened her eyes, her heart racing in her chest. She tried to get out of the chair but was too slow as Amon grabbed both arms of the chair trapping her between him and the chair. Asami looked into his face to find it was covered by that mask even now.

“I told you to be careful with your actions, now I have to clean up your mess.”

Asami started to squirm in the chair and tried to wriggle her legs up. Amon leaned in closer, “I guess I should’ve clarified that doing the avatar wasn’t what I meant by doing your job.”

Asami let out a cry of rage and forced her feet into Amon’s chest kicking him backward off of her. She scrambled out of the chair as Amon threw a punch at her. She quickly dodged and swept Amon’s feet out from under him. He hit the floor hard causing his mask to go off kilter.

Asami looked down and saw smooth skin. There was supposed to be a scar from a firebender attack which was why he wore the mask, or so he told the equalists. Asami frowned and reached down taking off the rest of the mask to reveal a face completely free of burn marks or scars.

“You weren’t really attacked by firebenders were you?”

Asami started to run toward the door with the mask in hand when she suddenly felt her body seize up. It felt like her blood was screaming and she couldn’t control her body at all. Her hand dropped the mask to the floor and her arms shot to her sides. Her body was forcefully spun around and she saw Amon, who had pushed himself into a sitting position on the ground, with his hands out as if he were bending.  _ Bending? _

“Really, you’re too much trouble,” Amon said before closing his hands into fists.

And then Asami’s world went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to get this out before break ended so here's another update! I gotta be honest I feel like I'm losing a little momentum. Thoughts? :) -Musical MB


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't disappeared! It's been a while but here's an update! Enjoy!

Asami woke up in an all-too-familiar bed. Instead of the Air Temple Island dormitory, she found herself back in her own room at the Sato Estate. She wasn’t supposed to be here, why was she here? How was she here? Asami sat up and gasped as pain ripped through her head. And suddenly she remembered how she got here. She was waiting for Korra and Tenzin to return when Amon came and took her. 

Asami leapt out of the bed and ran to the door. She was surprised to find that it wasn’t locked or barred until she opened it and found the lieutenant waiting right outside.   

“Ah, the traitor awakes,” he shoved her back into the room with a smug grin.

Asami was unfazed, she knew she could take him. She had beaten him several times before in training exercises. So why would Amon leave her in an unlocked room with only the lieutenant outside to stop her from escaping?

Asami delivered a swift kick to his stomach causing him to double over. While he was incapacitated, Asami ran from the room and right into her father.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re alright!” Hiroshi enveloped his daughter into a big hug while she blinked confusedly over his shoulder, “I’m so glad Amon was able to rescue you.”

“Rescue me?”

Hiroshi released her from the hug but still held onto her arms, “From the avatar. They must have really done a number on you. Amon told me all about the revelation and how the avatar took you as leverage.”

Why did Amon lie to her father? “But Dad I-”

“Asami, what are you doing out of bed?”

Asami turned around to see Amon walking up to her and Hiroshi, “You should still be recovering,” he added to Hiroshi, “I’ll take her back to her room to rest.”

Asami stepped back into her father, “Don’t touch me.”

“She must still be confused. Asami you should really go back and rest before you faint again.”

“But you-” Asami was cut off as Amon clenched his fist and she felt her blood once more yield to his control and she fainted. Hiroshi caught his daughter and glanced worriedly at Amon.

Amon shook his head, “I tried to warn her.”

Asami woke up confused in her bed for the second time that day, but this time she wasn’t alone. She sat up to see Amon sitting in a chair next to her bed, waiting for her to wake up.

“Good, you’re awake.”

“Get. Out.”

“Aw, but don’t you want to know my plan?”

“I won’t let you use me as bait for the avatar. I’ll find a way to escape,” she moved as far away from Amon as she could on the bed, “You don’t really have much security here.”

Amon laughed, “Oh, but you misunderstand. You’re not bait, you've just returned home.”

“I am not here by choice-”

 

“But she doesn’t know that.” 

Asami went pale. She hadn’t thought about the fact that Korra wouldn’t know how she disappeared. Korra and Tenzin were both gone when she was kidnapped and everyone else was asleep. She had just gained their trust and now it looked like she ran off back to the equalists.

“And as far as your father knows, you were kidnapped by the avatar until we rescued you. It would look a little suspicious to have high security around my recovering second in command, wouldn’t it?”  

“I could always tell him the truth.”

“And then what? You think he’ll just accept your disobedience and happily leave the equalists?” he laughed mirthlessly, “He’ll only be upset and put you on lockdown. Do you want your last remaining family member to hate you?”

Asami closed her eyes. He always knew the sensitive spots. He always knew exactly what to say and where to strike in order to manipulate those around him, it’s how he got her in the first place. Of course, Asami didn’t want to lose another family member and Amon knew he could use that against her.

Amon saw her face and knew he had her, “No, of course, you don’t. You’re going to stay here and finish what you started,” Amon tossed a rolled up paper onto Asami’s lap. She cautiously picked it up and unrolled it to find the blueprints for the mecha-type suits they had started earlier. She crumpled up the paper and threw it off the bed.

“You can’t make me.”

Amon gave an over-exaggerated sigh as he scooped up the discarded paper, “Really, Asami, I was trying to do this the easy way for you.”

“I can’t say that I would do the same for you.”

Asami leapt off the bed and rammed her body into Amon making him stumble backward. Asami quickly grabbed the knife that she always kept under her mattress and swung at Amon. Amon dodged at the last second, but Asami was relentless. She continuously swung at him with the knife, pushing him backward until his back hit the wall. Asami’s blade was about an inch from his throat when she felt a force stop her arm.

“Asami! What are you doing?”

Hiroshi stood behind Asami and he was holding Asami’s arms, keeping her from striking Amon. Asami continued to glare at Amon as her father pulled her back by the grip he had on her arms and grabbed the knife out of her hands. Amon stepped away from the wall and calmly brushed himself off as if mere seconds ago he wasn’t at the mercy of Asami and her knife.  

“She’s still confused, I think the avatar brainwashed her,” Amon told Hiroshi who still held Asami back by her arms.

“The only person who has brainwashed me is you,” Asami spit back at Amon.

“See? I think she needs more time to remember who the real enemy is.”

Hiroshi gently led Asami back to her bed. Asami didn’t fight him and hated herself for not fighting, but she had missed his affection and her previous conversation with Amon made her more susceptible to his affection and less willing to upset him.

“Please rest, Asami. I know you have been through a lot, but you are so strong and I’m sure you will come back to normal soon.”

_ Normal,  _ Asami thought,  _ nothing about my life here has been normal.  _ But she didn’t say anything, she just let her father think that she was only hurt and confused.

Hiroshi kissed her cheek and went to the door, “Amon, I think she needs time to rest alone.”

“Yes, I agree. Go ahead to the office, we have things to discuss, but I need to grab something first.”

Hiroshi nodded and exited the room leaving Asami alone with Amon again. Amon picked up the plans once more and left them on Asami’s desk.

“I have a feeling you’ll change your mind later,” Amon walked toward the door.

“Why does it have to be me?”

Amon shrugged with his back still toward Asami, “Because she loves you and that makes you the perfect weapon.”

* * *

When Korra and Tenzin arrived back home after meeting with Lin Beifong it was well past midnight. Korra decided that it was probably best to just go straight to bed since Asami should already be asleep. Korra woke up the next morning excited to share with Asami their plan for the airbending arena dilema. Excitement started to dwindle when she went into Asami’s room to find no trace of her. She wandered into the dining room in hopes that maybe she was already up and eating breakfast, but she was only greeted by the airbending family.

“Has anyone seen Asami?”

“No, we assumed she was in her room. The door has been shut all morning,” Pema answered Korra, “Is everything ok?”

“No,” It was less of a response to Pema’s question and more like a statement of denial. Korra rushed out of the room and frantically started to search for Asami. The airbender parents shared a concerned look before Tenzin took off after Korra.

Korra went through the halls ripping open every door and shouting Asami’s name each time she ran into a new room. Tenzin had caught up to her as she reached the third room and he gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Korra.”

Korra whirled around to face Tenzin tears in her eyes, “She left.”

Tenzin drew Korra into a hug, “We don’t know that.”

Korra pushed away from him, “She’s not here, Tenzin! She said she wasn’t leaving and she’s gone! She probably slipped out last night while we were off telling the police about Amon while covering for her. For all we know, she was playing us from the start.”

“Korra!” Korra stopped her tirade and looked at Tenzin, “Anything could have happened, we don’t know. Do you really think Asami would just leave you? From what I saw last night, you both seem to really care for each other. You can’t go jumping to conclusions and working yourself up like that.”

Korra gasped, “What if Amon got to her while we were gone!” she started to pace around in agitation, “I told her I would protect her! We said we would look out for each other and I wasn’t here when she needed me!”

Tenzin once more drew Korra into a hug and this time she accepted it letting Tenzin pat her hair, “Hey, we’re going to find out what happened to her, and if she’s in trouble we’ll find her and help her.”

Korra just nodded in response and let her tears fall onto Tenzin’s robe.

* * *

Later that day, Hiroshi returned to Asami’s room with a tray of food. He entered with a gentle smile and placed the tray next to Asami on the bed sitting on the edge himself. Asami barely glanced at the food before turning her head away.

“I’m not hungry.”

“I brought enough for both of us, I thought maybe we could eat together. It’s been awhile since we’ve had dinner just the two of us.”

Asami looked at her father and saw him smiling reassuringly while grabbing a roll from the tray and slowly bringing it to his mouth as if to encourage her to do the same. Asami sighed as she acquiesced and picked up her own roll, her father was trying at least and she didn’t want to let him down. Well, anymore than she was about to. She quietly picked at her food under the concerned eyes of her father. They went on in silence for a few minutes before Hiroshi stood up.

“You know what? I think getting back in the workshop with your old father will help expedite your recovery.”

Asami looked down at her lap, “I can’t.”

“Sure, you can! It’ll be just like when you were younger and we would work on things together for the company.”

Hiroshi grabbed Asami’s hand and started to pull her up, but she tugged her hand out of his grip and walked away from him. “No, Dad. I won’t help you or Amon anymore.”  

Amon thought that he could manipulate Asami into staying by using her father, but he miscalculated. Asami wasn’t going to let her love for her father sway her sense of morality, even if it meant getting hurt.

“Look, I don’t know what the avatar did to you, but Amon said-”

“Amon is a liar!” Asami cut him off, “He didn’t rescue me, he kidnapped me! I left the equalists willingly and it’s amazing that I didn’t do so sooner. He’s been lying to us and manipulating us since the beginning. I’m sorry I ever was a part of this.” Asami turned her back on her father and crossed her arms. She didn’t know how her father was going to react and wasn’t sure she wanted to know, but while her back was turned she didn’t see Hiroshi slip a glove over his hand.

“I’m sorry, too.”

Asami turned back around to be met with an electrified glove to her stomach. Asami stared up at her father as he guided her to the ground. He released the electrified glove and as Asami slipped into unconsciousness again he said, “I’ve already lost your mother to a bender, I’m not losing you to one, too.”

* * *

After calming down, Korra and Tenzin decided to go back to Asami’s room and see if they could find any clues in regards to Asami’s disappearance. Korra walked over to the bed which seemed too perfectly well made to have been slept in at all the previous night.

“Well, she never made it to bed,” Korra announced to no one in particular.

Tenzin walked over to the window and chair that sat right in front of it.

“Is the chair usually set here?”

Korra walked over, “No, it’s usually at the desk,” she frowned, “Do you see all these scuff marks?”

The two of them looked closer at the floor. There were scuff marks as if the chair had been forcefully pushed backward and around the center of the floor were smaller scuff marks as if made from boots.

“Something definitely happened in here,” Korra said as she looked over the marks.

“Korra,” Tenzin had made his way back over to the door and was looking at the floor. Korra followed him and saw little white pieces of plastic. 

Korra grit her teeth, “Amon.”

She quickly stood up and went out the door. Tenzin called out to her, “Where are you going?”

“To get Asami back.”

Tenzin hurried after Korra, “Korra-”

“I’m going to the Sato estate whether you like it or not. So you can either come with me or stay here, but you can’t stop me.”

Tenzin grabbed Korra’s shoulder causing her to stop and turn around to face him , “I’m not going to stop you, but I think you should bring help.”

“So, you’re coming?”

Tenzin shook his head, “Not me, but you have other friends who are probably wondering what is going on.”

Korra froze, “But what if they hate me?”

“How could we hate you?”

Korra turned around to find Mako and Bolin approaching the two of them. Bolin continued, “You are like the coolest person we know.”

“And our friend,” Mako added.

Korra ran to meet the brothers and the three embraced. After they released themselves from the hug Mako said, “We saw the papers and heard the different broadcasts, we came to check in on you. How are you?”

Korra scowled, “Not good, they took Asami, the equalists took Asami.”

The brothers shared a worried glance and then Bolin said, “So what’s the plan? How are we getting her back?”

Korra smiled at them, happy to have friends that were so willing to help, “We go to the Sato Estate and figure it out from there.”

Mako frowned, “Wait, the Sato Estate? As in her home? I thought you said she was taken by equalists.”

“Oh, right, you don’t know yet,” Korra grabbed both their arms and started to run out of the complex, “I’ll fill you in on the way.”

* * *

Asami woke up at a desk with another headache, she was getting real tired of being knocked out. She raised her head to find herself in the secret workshop beneath the estate. The plans for the mecha suits were laid out on the desk and various parts for the machines were strewn across the workshop.

“Dammit,” Asami banged her fists against the desk and stood up. As she stood she heard something jangle and looked down to see a chain connecting her ankle to a ring in the middle of the workshop floor. “Dammit, dammit, dammit!” She grabbed the chain and yanked at it, but it held fast. She returned to the desk, gathered up all the plans, and started to tear them into pieces. After creating a pile of shredded paper, Asami searched through the various parts and tools around the workshop for something to help her get out. She grabbed an engineer hammer and started to pound away at the chain. She heard the workshop door open amid her hammering, but didn’t stop.

“You know it’s no use.”

Asami paused her hammering to glance up at Amon who stood at the door, but immediately returned to her work, “No, I don’t.”

“It didn’t have to come to this, but you’ve proven that any other way wasn’t going to work,” Asami ignored him as she continued to attack the chain, “There is no escaping this time and you will finish the weapons for us.”

Asami dropped the hammer and gestured toward the pile of shredded paper, “You sure about that?” Amon’s gaze followed Asami’s gesture and he saw the ruined plans. Asami tilted her head, “Oops.”

Amon walked over to the shredded paper picking up a few of the tattered pieces and letting them fall to the floor. He let out a low chuckle, “Come on, we both know this means nothing,” he walked over to Asami, “All the plans and knowledge to execute them are still up here,” he tapped her temple with one figure.

Asami swatted his hand away and stood back up, “Doesn’t mean I’m going to share it.”

Amon sighed dramatically, “How many times are we going to do this dance, Asami? I’m getting tired of this.”

“However many times it takes for you to realize that I’m not doing anything for you. You can tie me down and take away everything, but you can’t make me do anything.”

“Clearly I can, or have you already forgotten how I got you here in the first place?” Amon spread his legs and raised his arms into what Asami recognized as a waterbending position from the times she had seen Korra do the same. He curled his hand in a way that she had never seen before, though, and suddenly she felt herself lose control over her body as she was pulled into a standing position. He pulled his hands sharply towards his body and Asami lurched forward landing on her hands and knees. No matter how hard she tried, she could not pull herself back up as if something was blocking her from moving. She found she could still talk though.

“Are you-?”

Amon released Asami and she fell to the floor in relief,  “Bloodbending? Yes, I am.”

Asami pushed herself up to a sitting position, “I don’t understand.”

“You were right before, I was never attacked by a firebender,” Amon removed his mask revealing his scarless face and dropped it in front of Asami. The edges were chipped and it was starting to splinter on the left side, probably a result of their skirmish back at Air Temple Island.

“No, my real scars come from a waterbender, my own father in fact,” Amon continued, “He showed me how dangerous bending is, how it only hurts us. I truly believe that I have been given this opportunity to wipe out bending for the good of society. But do you think non-benders would trust me and work for me if they knew that I was a bender? That I could bend their own blood to my will? Of course not, and so I became Amon.”

“Everything has been a lie,” Asami picked up the mask and slowly stood up, “You had me lying to the avatar for a lie. I lied, she lied, you lied. I’m tired of lies!” Asami clenched the mask in both hands staring at it with hatred and anger, “How dare you turn everyone against her for a lie that hurt no one while you sit here hiding behind a mask, and I don’t mean this crap,” Asami threw the mask to the floor between the two of them.

“You don’t expect me to believe that her lie didn’t hurt anyone. I’ve known you since you were a little girl and I know how your face looks when you’ve been hurt. I saw that look of betrayal on your face at the Revelation, even as you stood and defended the one who caused you hurt.”

“The only person hurting me is you! Nothing I felt in that moment compares to the hate I feel for you now!”

“I see,” Amon sighed, “I had really hoped your training over the years would’ve made you understand.”

“I do understand,” Asami looked Amon straight in the eye, “I understand that you have never been anything more than a manipulative coward trying to play god.”

 

Amon lunged forward toward Asami with his hands outstretched as though he would strike her, but as he stepped forward a splintering sound beneath his foot caused him to stop. He didn’t look down, but just blinked at Asami who was only a few steps away. She slowly swept her eyes down toward the splintered mask beneath Amon’s foot and then back up to match his stare with a blank expression. 

 

“You’re starting to crack.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Questions? Comments?   
> Thanks for reading!


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